Yosepha Alomang

Yosepha Alomang (born c. 1940s), also known as Mama Yosepha, is an Amungin Indonesian indigenous human rights defender and environmental activist. She has been awarded the Yap Thiam Hien Award and Goldman Environmental Prize.

Early life and family Alomang was born in the 1940s, in Tsinga, Papua, Indonesia and is of the Amung people. The province of Papua, is one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet. When her husband failed to pay her dowry according to customary law, Yosepha herself tried hard to save and pay it, to avoid her family's anger. She was accused of helping Free Papua Movement fighter, Kelly Kwalik. She was locked in a shipping container for days in high heat and with little food or water. She was also prevented from leaving Indonesia in 1998 when she wanted to attend a shareholders meeting in London, England.

In 1996, Alomang launched a civil lawsuit in the United States against Freeport-McMoRan, suing for compensation for both personal injury and environmental damages.

In 2003, after a landslide and pit collapse at the Freeport's Grasberg mine killed 8 workers, which was found to be as a result of negligence, Alomang called on Freeport-McMoRan to leave Papua, accusing the company of causing the accident and massive environmental damage. She established YAHAMAK, the Foundation Against Violence and for Human Rights, using money from the prize. The American gold mining company offered to award her $250,000 for receiving the Prize, but she refused their money.

Alomang's life story has been published in a book entitled Pergulatan seorang Perempuan Papua Melawa.