GAYS FORCED TO CANCEL REGIONAL CONFERENCE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, March 26 (ANTARA) - Gay organizers are likely to cancel their plan to hold a three-day regional conference beginning Friday in Surabaya, East Java, to discuss the rights of members of the gay, lesbian and transgender communities in Asia after police refused to issue  permits and wide rejection by Muslim organizations.          Rafael Hendrikus Da Costa, chairman of Indonesia's homosexual association 'GAY Nusantara' said, the organizers were determined to hold the conference but we have to cancel it if police did not issue a permit.          He said that the organizers were holding lobbies with opposing parties and police so that would be able to obtain a permit to organize the fourth regional conference of the Asia chapter of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association (ILGA).          "We do not have any plan to change the venue of the conference because Surabaya is a conducive and neutral place," Rafael said. He said his side was disappointed by the rejection of a number of Islamic organizations because their protest was a form of human rights violation.          Rafael said the activities that  gays would do were social activities such as public health care and others. "Our country highly respect human rights but this case is not enjoyed by gays and lesbians," he said.          Until Thursday evening, the organizers had not yet secured any permit to hold the conference from Surabaya regional police. "We have received their request to organize the conference but police refused to issue permits because it is a sensitive issue for the people of Surabaya," Adj. Senior. Commissioner Sri Setyo Rahayu, who heads the city's community policing department, said.           A number of student activists from various universities in Surabaya took to the streets in protest against the plan to organize the conference. Student Executive Board (BEM) activists of the Airlangga University (Unair), the 10 November Technology Institute (ITS)  held a rally on Thursday outside the regional legislative assembly (DPRD) in protest against the plan.          Rally coordinator Arif Fatkhurrahman said the Human Rights Law that was used by gays as a reason to organize the conference should be seen from the aspects that were in line with basic societal values and the eastern cultures.          "We cannot reject foreign values but neither could we forget local and eastern values," he said.           Chairman of the East Java chapter of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI), Abdusshomad Buchori said that the conference ran counter to the culture of the Indonesian people. "If they force themselves to organize the conference it would create social unrest," he said.          Therefore, he supported East Java police's steps to reject  a permit for the holding of the regional conference of the ILGA.          A number of Islamic organizations in Surabaya visited on Thursday Hotel Mercure where the conference would be held to deliver their protest. The Islamic organizations included East Java's MUI, the Islamic Defender Front (FPI), and other Islamic organizations.          East Java MUI chairman Abdul Rochman Aziz said that all Islamic organizations in East Java rejected the plan. "The conference will never bring benefits to the people," he said.           Rejection also came from the Indonesian United Development Party (PPP). The Islamic-based political organization strongly opposed the plan. "PPP strongly rejects the conference because it offended the feeling of the Indonesian people, particularly Muslims," PPP associate chairman Emron Pangkapi and PPP Executive Board secretary Irgan Chairul Mahfiz said in a press  statement on Thursday.          According to the Jakarta Globe, the event, hosted by gay rights group Gaya Nusantara, had been expected to attract more than 150 activists to discuss how gay, lesbian and transgender communities across the region might move toward a "common vision, mission and goal".          Abdusshomad Buchori said the conference was an attempt "to ruin the people and the young generation".          "According to Islamic teachings, the same-sex relationships of gays or lesbians as well as bisexuals are condemned by  Almighty God," he said, adding that his organization had sent a formal request to the National Police headquarters and the East Java administration not to permit the conference to go ahead.          Abdusshomad said his organization would not hesitate "to use our own methods" to break up the event should authorities allow it to go forward. "If there are parties that insist on holding the event, we will play rough," he warned.          Abdusshomad criticized the activists for using human rights to defend their movement, saying "their actions are contrary to human rights because people feel disturbed by their activities".          Pujiatiam, who chairs the organizing committee of the conference, said the group would negotiate with the police to try and secure the permit while discussing other possibilities to ensure the conference to go  ahead in some form or another.      (T.A014/A/H-NG/a014) (T.A014/A/A014/A/A014) 26-03-2010 01:04