Banned author awarded

JAKARTA (JP): Banned author Pramoedya Ananta Toer found at his home yesterday the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh prize for promoting peace, tolerance and non-violence.

The award came as a surprise to 71-year-old Pramoedya, with none of his family knowing who had delivered it or when.

"I seems the award was sent here secretly. I just found it at around 11 this morning," Pramoedya said.

An official with the United Nations Education and Culture Organization's office here said that she also knew nothing about the award.

The prize, dated Nov. 18 and signed by UNESCO's director general Frederico Mayor, is only one of international laurels adorning Pramoedya's cabinet. He received the Magsaysay Award last year.

"The peace prize shows that the international community acknowledges the truth of both my stance and conduct," Pramoedya said.

He said the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh prize was also given to a Cuban and a Russian writer.

Pramoedya said that due to his worsening health he did not plan to write any more books. He also has a hearing problem.

The government banned all Pramoedya's books because of his activities in the Lekra cultural council linked to the now outlawed Indonesian Communist Party.

Pramoedya was jailed for 14 years, 10 years of which were spent in a labor camp on Buru Island, following an abortive coup attempt in 1965 by the communist party. (amd)