Traumatized refugees in Poso suffer from clinical depression
Traumatized refugees in Poso suffer from clinical depression
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta
Most refugees who fled the town of Poso, Central Sulawesi, suffer
from clinical depression or other types of mental disorders
following two years of sectarian fighting there, according to a
recent survey.
It revealed that many refugees had suffered breakdowns after
the trauma of being exposed to the violence of the war between
Muslims and Christians, and the affect it has had on their lives.
The field research, conducted by a Yogyakarta non-governmental
organization, the Tikar Pandan Community, in January 2002, showed
that at least 54 percent of the more than 85,000 refugees
displaced by the conflict have been "psychologically distressed".
La Ode Arham of the research team, which consisted of five
researchers, said during a discussion at Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada
University on Tuesday that the depression mainly resulted from
trauma after having witnessed extreme violence and killings of
local people -- including family members and relatives.
In its 26-page report including appendixes, the team said that
female refugees were particularly prone to depression, as many
had been raped and impregnated by police Mobile Brigade (Brimob)
members.
These findings showed that among the respondents, most
suffered from anxiety (32.1 percent), followed by depression
(26.6 percent), irritable depression (20.3 percent) and acute
psychosis (12.5 percent).
"Should nothing be done to address the problem, it could lead
to co-morbidity and chronic illnesses, premature
death and collective family pathological problems," the report
said.
Arham said the research was conducted for one month, in
December 2001. It was aimed at identifying the latest
developments in Poso, creating peace networks there, and
gathering information on the conditions of victims, including
refugees.
The survey used a method "in which we lived temporarily with
local community members affected by the conflict, had open
discussions with them, and made notes about it," he said.
"Through this experience, we hoped to create a mediation
process to bridge the differences between conflicting parties,"
he noted.
There are 85,000 refugees currently residing in the districts
of Palu (22,000 refugees), Poso (44,000 refugees), Donggala
(12,000) and Morowali (7,000 refugees).
According to the report, up to last December, at least 577
people had been killed, 245 seriously wounded and 139 others
slightly hurt in the conflict, which began in 2000.
The religious clashes also led to the destruction or damage of
more than 14,000 houses, 55 churches, 27 mosques, 200
motorcycles, 39 cars and seven community health centers
(Puskesmas), the report also documented.
Independent sources, however, have put the death toll at about
2,000.
Muslim and Christian leaders signed a peace accord last
December in the hill resort of Malino in South Sulawesi to end
the religious violence in Poso.
Local security authorities are searching for weapons at houses
of rival groups there. More than 39,000 weapons -- including
firearms, handguns, bombs, machetes and arrows -- have been
voluntarily surrendered.