Lestari Moerdijat: Commitment to Protecting Persons with Disabilities Must Be Consistent

The state’s commitment to protecting and fulfilling the rights of all citizens, including persons with disabilities, must be consistently realised with support from all stakeholders.

“The fulfilment of the rights of persons with disabilities in all aspects of social life must be carried out with full commitment, as laws and the constitution have mandated this,” said Lestari Moerdijat, Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), in a written statement on Monday (2/3).

Last weekend, the Mental Health Association (Perhimpunan Jiwa Sehat) disclosed findings of alleged confinement of nearly 20,000 persons with mental disabilities in social care facilities across Indonesia. According to the Association, such practices are commonly found in non-governmental or private facilities operating in various regions.

Moerdijat stressed that these findings must be immediately addressed with concrete steps by all relevant parties. She emphasised that immediate action is not merely about protecting persons with disabilities from violence, but is a constitutional mandate. Furthermore, violence against persons with disabilities constitutes a violation of human values.

Therefore, according to Moerdijat, who also serves as a member of Commission X of the House of Representatives, stakeholders and society must be capable of building an effective protection system for persons with disabilities against threats of violence. Moerdijat expressed hope that strong collaboration between stakeholders and society must continue to be strengthened to create a safe and comfortable ecosystem for persons with disabilities in the country.