As social distancing becomes the focus of the world following the Covid-19 outbreak, we can’t help but compare the way authorities in different countries are controlling those who violate quarantine laws.
While Malaysian authorities adopting the ‘soft’ approach, using loudspeakers to force people home, videos of how the quarantine is handled in India and other countries has certainly caught our attention.
Despite the extreme ways adopted by the authorities in other countries, this surely takes the cake.
According to the Independent, quarantine violators in the Philippines are being abused and subjected to ‘cruel’ mistreatment when five men arrested for violating quarantine were places in a dog cage.
Source: ICRC
The incident which took place on the island of Luzon has entered a month-long enhanced community lockdown aimed at halting the spread of the coronavirus.
Currently, in Luzon, emergency measures in place prohibit mass gatherings, travel to and from Luzon as well as the closure of nonessential shops.
And just like Malaysians, Filipinos too were also less than obliging to the quarantine order.
According to the Human Rights Watch, hundreds have since been arrested with abuse reported in the south of Manila, with several images making its way on social media.
One of them featured five men huddled together in a cage while being watched over by the police.
Source: Philippine Star
Talk about police brutality right?
According to the Deputy Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, Phil Robertson, police and local officials should respect the rights of those they arrest for violating curfew and public health regulations.
“Any mistreatment should be immediately investigated, and the authorities responsible held accountable.”
The image above was merely the tip of the iceberg, as the Independent reported that offenders were also placed in crowded detention centers.
Imagine what we would make of our authorities if we were made to face the same ordeal our neighbors had to face with their authorities.
Also read: Malaysia’s Agro Park to Be Turned Into a Hospital in Anticipation of Covid-19 3rd Wave
