Nominees for Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk 2008

FrontLine
Protection of Human Rights Defenders
2008

Latifah Anum Siregar human rights lawyer, Chair of the Alliance for Democracy in Papua (ALDP) and advocate for peace, works in the complex tribal and migrant conflicts in Papua helping communities in isolated areas to defend their rights. Because of her work as a human rights defender her office has been broken into, she receives regular threats and there have been several attempts to kidnap her. .In 2005, Latifah Anum Siregar was almost kidnapped in the office by a group of people who introduced themselves as students.

Latifah Anum Siregar and ALDP provide legal assistance to plaintiffs in the courts on a daily basis. The ALDP assists indigenous Papuans who are the victims of injustice, particularly where they have lost their civil and political rights because they are suspected of being separatists.

In 2005 another incident of harassment and intimidation occurred when a set of computers and printers in Latifah Anum Siregar's office were stolen. To date the perpetrators have not been identified despite the case having been reported to the police. In another instance some unknown people tried to burn Latifah Anum Siregar's office, but her colleagues were able to prevent it.

Original article