Jakarta – The National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) is urging the government to provide better protection to people living with mental illness following the lynching of two mentally ill people in Tangerang regency, Banten, over the weekend.

On Sunday, a mob, spurred by rumors of a kidnapping syndicate, burned to death two people, who were later determined to have been mentally ill, in Tangerang regency, Banten.

The mob reportedly suspected the two people were part of a syndicate, which, according to text messages circulating on cellular telephones in the community, was stealing and trafficking children's organs.

Leading up to the vigilante-style executions, the two people had been door-knocking in the area and had been unable to identify themselves or explain what they wanted when asked. When the two attempted to flee, the crowd grabbed them and set them alight.

Yoseph Adi Prasetyo from the commission said Wednesday that the government had to take an integrated approach to mental health to protect people with mental illness by involving various ministries, including the Health Ministry, the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, the Social Affairs Ministry, and the People's Welfare Ministry.

"The government is guilty of violating human rights by omission against these people whose rights have been grossly neglected," he said.

He added that this negligence was apparent in the minimal budget allocated to handle people with mental illness. Right now, the mental health allocation is only two percent of the total budget at the Health Ministry.

"In order to fulfill the rights of the mentally ill, the government is required to allocate a budget reflecting [Indonesia's mental health] needs," Yoseph said.

Eka Viora from the Soeharto Herjan Mental Hospital in Jakarta said that health services for people with mental illness were still very limited.

"There is still discrimination against these people. Even community health centers, which should provide basic health services, do not want to accept them," she said.

Yeni Rosa Damayanti, the chairwoman of the Mental Health Association, pointed out the commonly held assumption that mentally disturbed people were dangerous and a threat to society.

"This makes the public afraid of them. However, statistics show that they suffer much more violence at hands of the public than the public does from them," she said.

According to Yeni, on a daily basis, the mentally ill are vulnerable to violence of all kinds, including discrimination, stigma and physical attacks. (lnd)