"Indiscriminate Detention Is Not Quarantine"... Disability, Elderly, and Child Civic Groups Request Human Rights Commission's Ex Officio Investigation

Long-term Care Hospitals, Child Welfare Facilities, and Residential Facilities for the Disabled
Facility Quarantine Measures Continue Due to COVID-19 Prevention
"Unable to See Family, Entire Daily Life Abandoned"
9 Civic Groups File Complaint with Human Rights Commission

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Civic groups have filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission, claiming 'violation of fundamental rights' regarding facility quarantine measures imposed on long-term care hospitals, child welfare facilities, and residential facilities for the disabled under the pretext of COVID-19 prevention.

On the 22nd, disability, elderly, and child-related civic groups announced that they submitted a petition and a request for an ex officio investigation to the Human Rights Commission on the 21st concerning human rights violations caused by facility quarantine related to COVID-19 prevention. Nine organizations participated in this petition, including Gyeonggi Disability Discrimination Abolition Solidarity, Gyeongbuk Disability Discrimination Abolition Solidarity, Daegu Disability Discrimination Abolition Solidarity, Lawyers for a Democratic Society Child Rights Committee, Gyeonggi Disability Independent Living Center Council, Duroo Corporation, Institute for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Disability Discrimination Prevention Coalition, and Moms in Politics.

In their statement, they appealed, "Before transportation systems and medical equipment were even established in nursing facilities, disability facilities, and child facilities, isolation measures from society were implemented first," adding, "Patients, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and children could not see their families and had to give up their daily lives entirely."

They particularly criticized that such measures were implemented in the form of 'guidelines' or 'administrative orders' without specifying the legal basis, and fundamentally, that this was not a method that could restrict citizens' fundamental rights.

They pointed out, "If citizens' rights are to be restricted, it must be the minimum necessary proportional to the purpose," and added, "Urgent patients could not meet their families, persons with disabilities were confined to facilities and cut off from society, and children's rights to education and social participation were restricted. Such measures require deep consideration of proportional necessity, but the process of reflecting the opinions of the affected parties was naturally omitted."

They emphasized, "Prevention is not a war against the virus using citizens as pawns in a long-term battle. Prevention must ultimately be for the people," and stated, "To prevent further repetition, we jointly filed this complaint and urge an ex officio investigation."