Sandyawan receives Yap Thiam Hien award

Sandyawan receives Yap Thiam Hien award

JAKARTA (JP): Ignatius Sandyawan Sumardi, a Jesuit Catholic
priest who made headlines for sheltering wanted activists charged
with inciting the July 27 riots, received the Yap Thiam Hien
human rights award yesterday.

Some 700 people, mostly activist students, packed the Atrium
Hall at the World Trade Center on Jl. Sudirman to pay homage to
Sandyawan, the fifth person to win the laurels since 1992.

The 38-year-old priest runs the Jakarta Social Institute, a
non-governmental organization actively helping street children,
laborers, and poor people caught in land disputes. Yesterday he
implied in his speech his defense of his decision to harbor
Budiman Sudjatmiko, leader of the now outlawed Democratic
People's Party (PRD), and his colleagues.

"It is our moral responsibility to take sides with the weak,
defending those who have fallen victim to injustice in our
society," he said. "A real pro-democratic movement, therefore,
must be a realization of solidarity with the poor."

But Sandyawan said the idea of empowering the poor was neither
a carbon copy of Western charity programs nor an ideological
following of capitalism or Marxism.

Diplomats from Canada, Finland, France, Sweden, the United
States and the Vatican, lawyers, intellectuals, public figures
and human rights activists were present yesterday.

Sandyawan was also awarded Rp 3 million (US$1,300) in cash.
Around 150 of Sandyawan's foster children joined the award
presentation.

The award, named after a late prominent Indonesian human
rights activist and lawyer, was first issued in 1992. Previous
recipients include human rights activists H.J.C. Princen,
Trimoelja D. Soerjadi and Ade Rostina Sitompul, slain labor
activist Marsinah, and farmers of the Jenggawah village in Jember
regency who were caught in a clash with security officers when
defending their land from appropriation.

This annual award presentation is organized by the Center for
Human Rights Studies (Yapusham) in conjunction with International
Human Rights Day which falls on Dec. 10.

The center's executive director, human rights activist Todung
Mulya Lubis, said the panel of judges had a tough time picking
Sandyawan from the five well-deserving nominees. (08/amd)

Violations -- Page 2