Case Study 5: Digital Advocacy to End Shackling in Indonesia

3,160 views · Published 6 October 2016 · 10:51 · Indexed 6 November 2026

Channel: Human Rights Watch · 2016 · News & Politics

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In Indonesia, people with psychosocial disabilities are often shackled or forced into institutions where they face abuse. In 2016, an estimated 18,000 people were shackled or locked up in confined spaces – a practice known as pasung. In this video, Shantha Rao Barriga explains how Human Rights Watch used a social media campaign, #BreakTheChains, to persuade Indonesia’s minister of health to expand access to mental health medication in local communities.

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