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AKARTA: The Indonesian government will continue pursuing a lawsuit against the New7Wonders Foundation even though the foundation has retracted its decision to strip Indonesia’s Komodo National Park off the list of New7Wonders of Nature candidates, government-appointed attorney Todung Mulya Lubis said on Tuesday.

Todung, who is also a senior anti-graft activist, said the New7Wonders was “insulting” Indonesia by removing the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism from its status as Official Supporting Committee for Komodo National Park.

“Voting for Komodo continues, but the absence of the ministry from the official campaign committee can be perceived as ignorance of Indonesia’s role for Komodo. It has tainted Indonesia’s credibility,” he said.

Bernard Weber, president and founder of the New7Wonders Foundation, said he had received many encouraging and supporting requests from the public, forcing him to allow Komodo to continue as a finalist, according to a release published on the foundation’s official website.

However, he said the removal of the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism from its official role in the campaign for Komodo remained inevitable.

“The evidence clearly points to the unsuitability of Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism as an authorized official supporting committee,” Weber said. — JP