Sarah, Mama Yosefa to get Yap Thiam Hien awards

JAKARTA (JP): Sarah Lary Mboeik, an activist from East Nusa Tenggara, and Mama Yosefa Alomang, an Irianese tribal rights advocate, were named the recipients of this year's Yap Thiam Hien human rights award.

The announcement was made here on Friday by Center for Human Rights Studies (Yapusham) executive director Todung Mulya Lubis.

Sarah, a 34-year-old mother of two, and Yosefa will receive their awards on Dec. 10, Todung said.

He added that President Abdurrahman Wahid, who once served on the panel of judges, is scheduled to attend the presentation ceremony.

Todung said a panel of judges picked the two from among seven nominees, which included East Timor independence leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao.

"The panel made a unanimous decision that Sarah and Mama Yosefa have served beyond the call of duty in human rights protection and promotion," Todung said during a media briefing.

He said the decision was also based on the fact that Sarah and Yosefa were widely known in their respective communities and that they never resorted to violence in their struggle.

The panel of judges for this year's award comprised sociologist Mely G. Tan, law professor Koesnadi Hardjasoemantri, Boy Mardjono and social observer Ignas Kleden.

The award, named after a late prominent Indonesian human rights activist and lawyer, was first made in 1992.

Previous recipients include rights activists Sandyawan Sumardi, H.J.C. Princen, slain labor activist Marsinah, lawyer Trimoelja D. Soerjadi and rights activist Munir of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence.

Sarah is a graduate from the Nusa Cendana University's school of agriculture in the East Nusa Tenggara capital of Kupang.

Yapusham said Sarah has been active in human rights campaigns since the Kupang riots in late 1998.

Sarah, at that time, set up a reconciliation forum to forge peace in Kupang and then in March she also set up the Solidarity Forum for Peace in East Timor, Yapusham said.

Since then Sarah has been actively establishing local and international networks to carry out collective campaigns against human rights abuses in East Timor.

Sarah is also an assistant investigator of the government- sanctioned inquiry on human rights abuses in East Timor.

Meanwhile Yosefa, despite her exterior demeanor as a housewife, has been helping the Amungme and Komara tribespeople in Irian Jaya to campaign for their rights against mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia.

There have been repeated accusations that the giant mining company has been polluting and destroying the local environment.

It was due to Yosefa's activism that she was arrested and allegedly interrogated and tortured by security personnel in October 1996.

Yapusham said that Yosefa filed a lawsuit against Freeport in a New Orleans court later that year. She also filed a class action lawsuit against the company earlier this year.

In the latest development, Yosefa was again detained by police in Irian Jaya for protesting Thursday's shooting incident of civilians by police. (byg)