Rights award winner remains true to homeland

JAKARTA (JP): Mama Yosefa Alomang, one of two winners of this year's Yap Thiam Hien human rights award, said as an activist for Irian Jaya tribal rights she demanded the award be presented to her in her home province.

"I refuse to accept the award in Jakarta because I am fighting for the rights of the Irianese. I believe it is natural that I receive it here so that the people in Irian Jaya know how important this award is," Antara quoted her as saying in Jayapura, Irian Jaya, on Saturday.

Mama Yosefa, 50, was conspicuously absent from Friday's awards ceremony. Fellow honoree Sarah Lary Mboeik received her award at the ceremony here, which was also attended by President Abdurrahman Wahid.

The executive director of the Center for Human Rights Studies, Todung Mulya Lubis, said on Friday Mama Yosefa sent a letter saying she would not travel to Jakarta until Abdurrahman visited Irian Jaya.

However, questions were raised about the authenticity of the seven-page letter because the tribal rights campaigner is known to be illiterate.

There were also fears she was being used by certain parties to exploit the award as a means of gaining attention for the separatist movement in Irian Jaya.

Yosefa said on Saturday her demand that the award be presented to her in Irian Jaya was not a political ploy.

She asserted that her struggle all these years had not been a lone one, but she had been aided by her fellow Irianese who also deserved recognition.