Jakarta, NU Online
The government should immediately and carefully handle socio-psychological aspects of the Sidoarjo mudflow, especially among children, to prevent possible anarchy in the near future.
Speaking at a public discussion Saturday on the psychological effects of the mudflow disaster, Roostien Ilyas from the National Commission for Child Protection (KPAI) said the government was focused on relief works but should pay immediate attention to the psychological health of children who had suffered the disaster.<>
Roostien said based on her experiences handling traumatized children in several disaster- and conflict-hit areas including Sampit in Central Kalimantan, Atambua in East Nusa Tenggara, Ambon in Maluku and Bantul in Yogyakarta, that the government never really addressed the needs of children.
"In Aceh and Bantul for example, we found fear and sadness after the earthquake and tsunamis," Roostien said.
"But in Sidoarjo we also found widespread anger among the victims.
"And this is not easy for the healing process."
She said residents knew the disaster was triggered by human fault and not by nature and that although the people were blaming the government and PT Lapindo Brantas Inc, their superficial knowledge of the incident was dangerous.
Without any psychiatric intervention, the subconscious fear and anger the children had about the disaster would affect their behavior in the future.
She said anarchy, apathy, skepticism, and social hatred would be expected outcomes of the situation.
"Psychiatric intervention is needed for these angry people (before they are) used by political parties," she said.
Roostien, who has been involved in children rights issues since 1990, said the government needed to work together with professionals and NGOs to provide at least 10 trauma centers for children in the mudflow-affected area.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Indonesian Mental Health Doctors Association announced the results of a survey which found an increasing trend toward mental health issues.
The survey took in 3,000 residents who had taken refuge at shelters and it found widespread symptoms of chronic depression among victims.
Lawmaker Abdullah Azwar Anas from the National Awakening Party faction at the House of Representatives said the House's motion to question President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono over the mudflow case would focus on how to solve the problem rather than on the President's presence -- as was the case in the motion to question sanctions against Iran for its nuclear program.
He said the government needed a clear policy in the handling of the mudflow case. He also said legal certainty was a must in order to assure the people of their future.
"It is clear in the 1945 Constitution that the state should protect the citizen, but what we see now is a systematic omission by the state," Abdullah was quoted by The Jakarta Post as saying.
"This is not an emergency anymore because it has been more than three months ... so legally the government has failed.
"It has been one year already but no one has been legally named responsible."
Abdullah said PT Lapindo Brantas Inc. was partly responsible for the social impacts of the case, but on this issue there was no accountability or transparency. (dar)
The government should immediately and carefully handle socio-psychological aspects of the Sidoarjo mudflow, especially among children, to prevent possible anarchy in the near future.
Speaking at a public discussion Saturday on the psychological effects of the mudflow disaster, Roostien Ilyas from the National Commission for Child Protection (KPAI) said the government was focused on relief works but should pay immediate attention to the psychological health of children who had suffered the disaster.<>
Roostien said based on her experiences handling traumatized children in several disaster- and conflict-hit areas including Sampit in Central Kalimantan, Atambua in East Nusa Tenggara, Ambon in Maluku and Bantul in Yogyakarta, that the government never really addressed the needs of children.
"In Aceh and Bantul for example, we found fear and sadness after the earthquake and tsunamis," Roostien said.
"But in Sidoarjo we also found widespread anger among the victims.
"And this is not easy for the healing process."
She said residents knew the disaster was triggered by human fault and not by nature and that although the people were blaming the government and PT Lapindo Brantas Inc, their superficial knowledge of the incident was dangerous.
Without any psychiatric intervention, the subconscious fear and anger the children had about the disaster would affect their behavior in the future.
She said anarchy, apathy, skepticism, and social hatred would be expected outcomes of the situation.
"Psychiatric intervention is needed for these angry people (before they are) used by political parties," she said.
Roostien, who has been involved in children rights issues since 1990, said the government needed to work together with professionals and NGOs to provide at least 10 trauma centers for children in the mudflow-affected area.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Indonesian Mental Health Doctors Association announced the results of a survey which found an increasing trend toward mental health issues.
The survey took in 3,000 residents who had taken refuge at shelters and it found widespread symptoms of chronic depression among victims.
Lawmaker Abdullah Azwar Anas from the National Awakening Party faction at the House of Representatives said the House's motion to question President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono over the mudflow case would focus on how to solve the problem rather than on the President's presence -- as was the case in the motion to question sanctions against Iran for its nuclear program.
He said the government needed a clear policy in the handling of the mudflow case. He also said legal certainty was a must in order to assure the people of their future.
"It is clear in the 1945 Constitution that the state should protect the citizen, but what we see now is a systematic omission by the state," Abdullah was quoted by The Jakarta Post as saying.
"This is not an emergency anymore because it has been more than three months ... so legally the government has failed.
"It has been one year already but no one has been legally named responsible."
Abdullah said PT Lapindo Brantas Inc. was partly responsible for the social impacts of the case, but on this issue there was no accountability or transparency. (dar)
