City of Dortmund’s Tobacco Trade Fair in Indonesia: Mayor Sierau Refuses to Accept
Petition
Nearly 12,000 people signed the petition addressed to the mayor of Dortmund (Ullrich
Sierau), which Max Vollmer and Yosef Rabindanata Nugraha wanted to hand over in the
Dortmund city hall on February 3rd. The petition aims at stopping the tobacco trade fair
Inter-tabac ASIA 2014, which the city-owned Westfalenhallen Dortmund GmbH aims to carry
through in Bali. The mayor however was not willing to welcome the bearers of the petition.
The attempt to hand over the petition to the mayor in person was prevented under threat of
calling the police. Yosef Rabandinata Nugraha, one of the persons who started the petition
and who came to Germany specifically to hand over the petition: “I am stunned. In Indonesia
the government is willing to meet with its citizens in such a case. The mayor does not show
respect for his own citizens and the thousands of Indonesians protesting against this trade
fair.” The governor of Bali meanwhile reacted to the protests and spoke out publicly against
the organization of the trade fair in Bali.
Max Vollmer of Deutscher Jugendschutz-Verband (German Youth Protection Association) had
started the petition from his hometown, the German city of Dortmund and points out: “The
Westfalenhallen are acting by the sole order of the city. Mr. Sierau, show responsibility and
instruct the trade fair company to stop the Inter-tabac ASIA.”
Johannes Spatz, spokesman of Forum Rauchfrei, points out that the governor of Bali has
repeatedly emphasized in interviews that the trade fair violates the laws of the Badung
district, where the trade fair is to be held. “Should the Westfalenhallen carry through the
trade fair there, this would constitute a calculated breech of the law in force in Indonesia.”
By organizing the Inter-tabac ASIA 2014 in Indonesia, the Westfalenhallen Dortmund GmbH
promotes the use of tobacco in a country in which smoking children are a part of everyday
life.
The office manager of Dortmund’s vice-mayor Manfred Sauer finally consented to accept the
petition.
Contacts:
Yosef Rabindanata Nugraha (Indonesia Bebas Rokok), petition initiator: +62 856-9114 6768
Max Vollmer (Deutscher Jugendschutzverband), petition initiator: +49 231-2201901
Johannes Spatz (Forum Rauchfrei): +49 176-24419964
Press release for download, PDF [83KB]
Dortmund Kills is a campaign by Forum Rauchfrei („Forum Smokefree“), Deutscher Jugendschutzverband
(„German Youth Protection Association“), Indonesia Bebas Rokok („Smokefree Indonesia“), Unfairtobacco.org
and Stiftung rauchfrei leben („Foundation smokefree living). The campaign supports Max Vollmer and Yosef
Rabindanata Nugraha for their petition on change.org: www.dortmundkills.de/en/petition.