Private Story
Disorder Hidden: Abuses Against People with Psychosocial Disabilities in Indonesia
I work in a neurological battleground photographing courageous men, women, and children.
Throughout Indonesia, people who have a perceived or actual mental illness can be held indefinitely in impossible conditions. Their situation is worse than that of a jailed prisoner who at the very least knows the length of his sentence. Many are hungry, forced to eat, sleep and defecate while shackled or locked away in rooms, cells, cages, animal sheds, or held in wooden stocks. This is called pasung. Although pasung has been banned since 1977, it continues to be the widespread traditional response to perceived or actual mental illnesses throughout Indonesia. Despite the long-held stigma, men and women allow me to photograph because they want people to know what is happening, see what they must tolerate. Their partnering is a fight for life and liberation, recognition, and respect.
I work under barrages of PTSD. I try to shield my fixer and local by photographing alone but this work gets complicated. Then we leave while others stay. So maybe the critical part of my work is to ask/beg/urge men/women/children to survive, to value living, and to hold onto hope amidst the unspeakable evidence of their circumstance while they battle a mental disease that can be successfully treated. I get a few hours to accomplish that armed with respect, focus, attention, bits of conversation, and information.
I work in environments toxic with biowaste. Human rights abuses are rampant hidden and in plain sight. In heavily controlled situations (with assistance from residents) I try to find opportunities to photograph what I am told not to document. I show up without notice, return, spend more time than you might guess not photographing, waiting for a back to turn, watching, outlasting minders, becoming familiar.
The journalism side of this story involves familiarity with: Governmental Ministries, laws, insurance, drugs, clinics, hospitals, pantis (social rehabilitation institutions), traditional healers, innovative programs, family needs, the consequence of all that is done and what is at stake, who to question, interview, who to consult.
Early reportage, DISORDER triggered a Human Rights Watch investigation resulting in the 2016 campaign report LIVING IN HELL. Following the formal launch, Indonesia’s Ministry of Health used the report to help institute a neighborhood door-to-door outreach/intervention program implemented by local clinics. The Ministry of Social Affairs, responsible for social rehabilitation institutions, complained directly to the panties photographed for the report. Then the government passed the 2016 Disability Act. It mandates setting up Governmental Rules to regulate social rehabilitation institutions. The 2018 HRW report launch included an exhibition at Parliament of my Independent work. Recent HRW partnering: embargoed.
The majority of this work is independent, enhanced by my fixer and Internationally respected NGO PJS (Perhimpunan Jiwa Sehat-Indonesian Mental Health Association, all survivors) who receive prints, video clips, images, and information probono. In 2019 I contributed to a UN Shadow Report. Disorder has been published and exhibited Internationally.
Indonesia arrests/deports/blacklists journalists working without a Journalist Visa but refuses visas for work that “makes Indonesia look bad”.
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