UNODC report launch: Compulsory drug treatment and rehabilitation in East and Southeast Asia

Compulsory facilities for people who use drugs are a form of custodial confinement in which those perceived or known to be using drugs are forcibly placed to undergo abstinence and “treatment” for a pre-determined period of time. Administered through criminal law, administrative law or government policy, in East and Southeast Asia compulsory facilities are operated by various government agencies depending on the specific country. Aiming for a ‘drug-free environment’, interventions are abstinence-based and generally restricted to detoxification only, often are not medically supervised, and provide little or no ongoing evidence-informed treatment, harm-reduction services or after-care services. Compulsory facilities for people who use drugs in East and Southeast Asia are a common phenomenon. The report focuses on nine countries in the region that use this approach: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The aim of the report is to raise awareness and promote a move away from compulsory drug treatment facilities. With insights from drug treatment experts in the region, the report provides governments with information on how this transition can be best achieved and highlights alternative measures to compulsory treatment. It is the intention of this report to address the need for effective drug treatment and HIV prevention programmes that adhere to internationally accepted principles of drug dependence treatment and human rights. Gita Sabharwal – UN resident coordinator in Thailand. Jeremy Douglas – UNODC regional representative, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Taoufik Bakkali – UNAIDS regional director, Asia Pacific. Sam Nugraha – member of the Asia-Pacific Expert Advisory Group on Compulsory Facilities for People Who Use Drugs, founder of Rumah Singgah Peka. Rosma Karlina – women’s coordinator at Indonesia Act for Justice (AKSI), Women & Harm Reduction International Network (WHRIN) chairperson for Indonesia Board. Nancy Jean Gacho - paralegal, IDUCARE Philippines. Claudia Stoicescu – UNAIDS & UNODC consultant. Moderator: Karen Peters, UNODC regional adviser Drugs and Health, Southeast Asia and the Pacific.