Development in E. Timor bears fruit for few people<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): East Timor has seen significant progress since
\nit integrated with Indonesia in 1976, but only a few people enjoy
\nthe fruit of its development, according to an author.<\/p>\n
\"Sixty seven percent, or 503,000, of the East Timorese people
\nspend between Rp 10,000 and Rp 30,000 a month,\" Joao Mariano De
\nSousa Saldanha, author of The Political Economy of Development in
\nEast Timor, said Saturday.<\/p>\n
He made the remarks during a discussion of his book held by
\nthe Association of Indonesian Catholic Students (PMKRI). The
\ndiscourse proceeded under the watchful eyes of security officers.<\/p>\n
Mariano said that although East Timor grows by about six
\npercent to seven percent annually, jobs are still few and far
\nbetween.<\/p>\n
\"In 1991 out of some 8,000 seeking employment in East Timor,
\nonly 500 got jobs,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Development in East Timor has been heavily dependent on the
\ncentral government. This fact is made quite clear in the regional
\nbudget, of which 90 percent comes from Jakarta, he said.<\/p>\n
Things could have been better had the original assets of East
\nTimor been used properly, according to Mariano.<\/p>\n
East Timor's administration had local bank deposits amounting
\nto 226 million escondos (US$8 million) when the former Portuguese
\ncolony integrated with Indonesia in 1976.<\/p>\n
\"It is not clear where the money has gone,\" Mariano said.<\/p>\n
He said the income per capita of the East Timorese is between
\nRp 200,000 (US$90) and Rp 300,000 (US$136), far below the
\nnational income per capita of about US$650.<\/p>\n
In 1974, when East Timor was still under the Portuguese
\ngovernment, the income per capita of the East Timorese was only
\nUS$40.<\/p>\n
Sharing Mariano's view, J. Kristiadi from Center for Strategic
\nand International Studies (CSIS) and Clementino Dos Reis Amaral,
\na member of the National Commission on Human Rights, observed
\nthat the majority of people in East Timor still live in poverty,
\nin spite of any progress or development.<\/p>\n
They blamed the central government for concentrating on
\ndevelopment of infrastructure and neglecting the development of
\nthe human resources.<\/p>\n
The government was also criticized for excluding local people
\nin development planning.<\/p>\n
\"Development planning was designed by the central government
\nwithout any regional consultation. This is not acceptable by the
\npeople,\" Amaral, who is also a former member of the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR).<\/p>\n
Two-way communication should be exercised to improve the
\nconditions, he said.<\/p>\n
Amaral also called on the central government to only send
\nqualified officials to hold posts in the provincial offices
\n(Kanwil).<\/p>\n
Officials from outside East Timor sent to the province should
\nrespect local public officials and the bishop, who are greatly
\nrespected by local people, Amaral said.<\/p>\n
He said the great mistake made by those officials was their
\nneglect of these figures, who should have been involved in the
\ndevelopment of the predominantly Catholic territory.<\/p>\n
Amaral noted that many people have gone unaffected by any
\ndevelopment programs and still feel insecure due to separatist
\nactivity in the province.<\/p>\n
Kristiadi suggested that East Timor be given greater autonomy
\nand that the governor have greater power to manage the province,
\nincluding the authority to design development programs.<\/p>\n
\"Thus, the programs will be in accordance with the actual
\ndemands of the region,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Amaral, however, said that President Soeharto had made it
\nclear that East Timor would be treated like the other 26
\nprovinces, meaning that it would not be given greater autonomy.
\n(sim)<\/p>",
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