Poet seeks revocation of award for Pramudya

JAKARTA (JP): An intellectual and a human rights campaigner were of differing opinions yesterday over the government's ban imposed on writer Pramudya Ananta Toer from going to the Philippines to receive his Magsaysay award.

Poet Taufik Ismail not only supported the ban but also demanded that the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation in Manila scrap its decision to grant the award to Pramudya.

Taufik argued that the foundation is "unaware" that Pramudya used to suppress the freedom of expression himself during the so called "Guided Democracy" under president Sukarno.

Pramudya was associated with the People's Cultural Institute (LEKRA) which leaned heavily to communism in the early 1960s. The government has banned almost of his works.

"I question neither their (foundation's) criteria nor Pramudya's ideology," Taufik said in a message sent to intellectual Arief Budiman, who then made it available to the press in Rembang, Central Java yesterday.

Taufik is trying to mobilize support from other intellectuals such as Arief Budiman, to make the Magsaysay Foundation cancel its decision.

Human rights campaigner H.J.C. Princen said the travel ban is a blatant violation of a citizen's basic right to leave and return to his or her country.

"It's shameful that a man of letters is barred from going to receive an award he truly deserves," he said.

Princen, who chairs the Indonesian Front for the Defense of Human Rights, said that no one can prevent the Magsaysay Foundation from giving Pramudya the award.

His ban from going to Manila could be counterproductive, he said. "Just look at Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma (Myanmar). She is famous after she was imprisoned in her own house," he said.

Meanwhile, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation has sent a letter to President Soeharto, asking him to let the 70-year old writer go to Manila and receive the award on Aug. 31.

"It is extremely rare for awardees not to attend," said the letter, a copy of which was made available to the Post. "Our four other new awardees will definitely be present at the ceremonies." (har/pan)