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span class="caption" style="width: 510px;">Andrea Hirata. JP/P. J. LeoBest-selling Indonesian author Andrea Hirata says his next book will be written in English because he is tired of having his books being pirated.

“I have stopped writing in Indonesian,” the author of the immensely popular novel Laskar Pelangi said after receiving a national award for intellectual property rights from the government on Tuesday.

“I am working on a novel that will be published in the United States,” Andrea said, adding that the English translation of Laskar Pelangi would be published under the title Rainbow Troops later this year by an American publisher.

In spite of the award, which acknowledged Andrea as a “Motivating Novelist”, the 29-year-old said he was bitter that his works had been pirated on a large scale.

“During one book promotion event, I even signed about 2,000 copies of Laskar Pelangi before realizing that none of them was original,” he said.

The award was presented by Vice President Boediono in connection with the 12th World Intellectual Property Rights Day.

Thirteen other individuals and companies were presented with awards, including Sidik, an expert on traditional herbal medicine from Padjadjaran University, singer and songwriter Ebiet G. Ade and Hendy Setiono, the owner of Turkish kebab outlet Baba Rafi.

Indonesia ranks among the world’s worst violators of intellectual property rights. The US Trade Representative, for example, has placed Indonesia among 13 countries on its “Watch List” for violating intellectual property rights and copyrights.

Piracy was also hurting Indonesian talent and creativity, Andrea said.

The author said he was especially hurt when his latest work Padang Bulan, which took him four years to write, was pirated within 24 hours after its launch in 2010.

He admitted that he had been naïve and forgiving, thinking that pirates, too, needed to earn a living. “But now I have seen the big picture and learned that they used advanced technology to scan and print my book in just one day.”

Piracy is threatening the creative works of Indonesian artists, he said. “What frightened me the most is not simply the little profit earned, but also how this will discourage our young creative workers from producing their works.” (aml)