Pubdate: Thu, 12 Jan 2006
Source: Bangkok Post (Thailand)
Copyright: The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 2006
Contact:  http://www.bangkokpost.co.th/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/39
Author: Wassana Nanuam
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

UNSHACKLING THE DRUG HABIT

Sight of addicts, mental patients chained to walls of rehab centre
accepted by locals

The sight of men chained to trees and walls at a ponoh school in Mayo
district may shock strangers, but not local people.

These men have been diagnosed as mentally deranged from prolonged drug
abuse, or are HIV-Aids positive.

A charity rehabilitation centre set up at the school provides herbal
treatments which are accepted by local people even though they have
not been approved by the Public Health Ministry.

The centre was founded by Sakariya Jehtae, the babor, or headmaster,
who was formerly a religious teacher at Thammathan Foundation School
in Yala. He converted his house into a ponoh school-cum-mental asylum
and Aids treatment centre, operating under religious principles, 18
years ago.

Nearly 2,000 patients have so far been treated at the centre with
herbal medicines twice a day, in the morning and at bedtime.

Most patients are young Muslim men, all are shackled to prevent them
escaping. Some had gone berserk and smashed everything around them.

The herbal treatments are said to cure drug addicts, the mentally ill
and those in the early stage of HIV-Aids.

When Mr Sakariya died in October last year, the task of running of the
facility passed to his wife Mrs Nuriyoh, 42, nephew Muhammad Soreh
Kiya, 32, and two followers.

"We use herbs from this area and from Arab countries," Mrs Nuriyoh
said. "Despite the lack of approval from the Public Health Ministry we
will continue the treatments because they are effective and acceptable
to local people and we will continue helping them, she said.

Mr Muhammad said not everyone agreed with their methods, but patients
must follow the rules.

"Drug addicts, the mentally ill and hallucinating patients here must
follow our rules. Their relatives must allow us to chain patients to
prevent them from escaping, damaging things and attacking other
people," he said.

"Suffering caused by being chained will make them stay away from
drugs. People criticise us for chaining them, but it's our rule to
confine them for 3-6 months depending on the severity of their condition."

Malang Masae, 36, from Yaring district said he was admitted suffering
from hallucinations as a result of drug abuse. He had now recovered.
He wanted to go home and would not take drugs again because being
chained up was painful.

Abdulloh Jehso, 25, from Mayo district could speak sensibly again
after two months of treatment for marijuana addiction and alcoholism,
but admitted loneliness might cause him to use marijuana again after
going home.

Neither of the two men had any ideas about the violence in the far
South and said they could not care less about it.

Heroin addict Amrun Arwae, 37, said he had come to the centre 20 days
for help.

He had chains around his ankles and said he did nothing but read all
day.

But not all patients recover quickly.

Even after four months, Kamanording Useng still thinks of little else
than the cartoon characters Super Seya and Pokemon.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake