Rights award winner remains true to homeland

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.