Stop Sudah English-revised-March2012 - International Center for ...

After marrying in 2000, a wife hoped for a good life, but the reality was different.
My husband forced me to have sex with a widower only to get a drink . . . I [also] had to serve my husband together
with another woman, and my husband forced us to stimulate each other to have sex. Also at that time, while
watching a porn CD . . . After that, I was beaten, dragged through the streets, and all my clothing was open. [I]
reported [this] to the police, but there was no settlement . . . I hope there’s no game between this evil man and law
enforcement; my husband was held just one night, then released. 79
A woman (Tah) became engaged in Mimika in 2001 to her “husband” who gave a customary gift of betel
nut after he divorced his first wife several years earlier. Although Tah has tried to have an official wedding,
that still has not happened. Her husband is raising three children from his previous marriage, while (Tah)
also has four children from a previous relationship. After (Tah) was spoken for, her husband began
working at P.T. Freeport. When her husband came home after work he always invited his children to watch
videos until late at night. One time, a tape was left in the video player. When Tah played it, she discovered
that the suspicions she had held all along were correct—the content was pornography.
After watching a porn movie, my husband would conduct or practice with me what he’d watched. I was threatened as
well—if I didn’t serve him he’d look for another women outside the home. If I didn’t want to [do the things he
wanted], I was also threatened [that] I’d be murdered. 80
Another woman experienced sexual violence from her husband from 2004 until now. Her children and
neighbors knew about the rape and sexual violence but could not do anything. This usually happened when
the husband was drunk. This woman was also beaten with stones, a crowbar, and machete. She was once
hospitalized, but could not be released from the continual torture. 81
A young woman was raped by a man in 2005 and then was married according to custom to become his
third wife. In 2006, her husband and his two other wives gave this woman drugs to make her sterile, while
her husband explained the medicine was in order to be safe. Now the victim cannot get pregnant.
He often forced me to “serve him” anytime and anywhere: on the road, at the creek, in the fields or at home,
according to his wish . . . Usually he beat me, saying, “I did not marry you to have children, but to release my lust
for.” . . . [Once] in the field, he treated me so roughly that I was forced to serve him. However, this time he wanted
to practice what he’d seen in the films he watched in the city. He told me to strip naked, then he forced me . . . He
stranggled my neck so I just did what he wanted . . . My genitals hurt for a week. Three days later, he forced me to
do the same thing in the honai, but I didn’t want to. Finally, he beat me up in the middle of the night and locked me
inside the honai. For three days I did not eat or drink, and had to urinate and defecate in the honai. On the fourth
day . . . I managed to go home to my parents . . . I stirred my parents so I could divorce and it was reported to the
police, but until now the problem has not been completely taken care of . . . Sometimes I spend the night with my
family [parents], [my husband] goes to take me home just to vent his desire. 82
A woman had a customary marriage in Wamena; her parents raised one of her children. In June of 2009 this
mother wanted to have a worship service at her parents’ house for her child’s birthday, whereas her
husband wanted to have a disco party at night in his home. The husband and wife began to quarrel.
79 KJP15 narrative.
80 MIM33 narrative.
81 KJP13 case.
82 WAM16 narrative.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! 45