E. Timorese reflect on integration<\/p>\n
This coming Wednesday marks the 20th anniversary of East
\nTimor's integration into Indonesia.<\/p>\n
On July 17, 1976, President Soeharto signed into law a
\nlegislation enacted by the House of Representatives a day earlier
\nwhich accepted an East Timorese petition to join the republic.<\/p>\n
The petition itself was signed by tribal leaders representing
\nthe majority of East Timorese in December 1975 at the height of a
\nbloody civil war which erupted in the wake of the hasty
\nwithdrawal of the Portuguese colonial administration.<\/p>\n
In the last 20 years, Indonesia has poured billions of rupiah
\ninto East Timor to build infrastructure which was virtually
\nnonexistent at the time of integration. The money went towards
\nthe construction of roads, schools, hospitals, places of worship
\nand other facilities.<\/p>\n
The government, however, continues to face dissension from
\nEast Timorese within and outside the province. Members of
\nFretilin, an armed group seeking a separate state, continue to
\nwage a sporadic guerrilla battle from their jungle hideout. There
\nis also strong discontent among urban youths, which in recent
\nyears has often translated into riots, sometimes with racial or
\nreligious intonations.<\/p>\n
Then there is also the question of the absence of
\ninternational recognition of the integration. The diplomatic
\nbattle is far from being resolved and it is now being waged
\nthrough the United Nations, which still regards Lisbon as the
\nadministering power.<\/p>\n
In connection with the anniversary, The Jakarta Post presents
\na series of articles on this page and pages 9, 10 and 11.<\/p>\n
DILI, East Timor (JP): How do the East Timorese see East Timor
\nafter 20 years? The Jakarta Post spoke to a number of people in
\nEast Timor to find out about their views and feelings on the
\noccasion of the anniversary.<\/p>\n
Abilio Jose Osorio Soares, Governor of East Timor, believes in
\nthe \"three-pillar\" concept in the development of the mainly Roman
\nCatholic province.<\/p>\n
\"The Church, the government and the Armed Forces (ABRI) must
\nwork hand in hand to develop the province,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He is aware that some people oppose ABRI in East Timor, but he
\ndoes not worry because, he says, these are isolated cases and do
\nnot reflect the general feeling of the people.<\/p>\n
\"The U.S. President himself can't convince everyone in America
\nto feel the same way. It's just the same in East Timor.\"<\/p>\n
\"We are working hard to settle our differences. Honesty and
\nopenness are the keys to solving the problem.\"<\/p>\n
Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo declined to be interviewed
\nfor this occasion. \"I can't. I don't have the time to talk to any
\nreporters,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Armindo Maia, acting rector of the state-run University of
\nEast Timor, agrees that there has been rapid development in East
\nTimor, but adds that many people have not enjoyed the fruits of
\ndevelopment.<\/p>\n
\"The development in East Timor is physical development carried
\nout by people from outside East Timor,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The East Timorese do not have the sense of belonging on the
\nnew facilities built by the government because they feel they are
\nnot involved in the development process, Maia says.<\/p>\n
Many East Timorese feel their dignity has not been respected,
\nhe adds.<\/p>\n
He accuses the government of poor planning and management in
\nEast Timor. He cites as an example the construction of schools
\nwhen the government has no idea what the graduates should do
\nafter graduation. As a result, many young people in East Timor
\nare unemployed.<\/p>\n
\"Educated people who are unemployed can be dangerous,\" he
\nwarns.<\/p>\n
Stanis Gouterres, 26, a newspaper vendor with senior high
\nschool background, was left an orphan by the civil war.<\/p>\n
\"My father was killed by the Fretilin in 1982 during the civil
\nwar,\" he says.<\/p>\n
His mother died in 1975 after the Portuguese put her in jail.
\nHe was only five years old when the Portuguese colonial
\nadministration sent her to prison. He never found out why.<\/p>\n
Peace is the thing Stanis wants most on this earth.<\/p>\n
He says he is disturbed by the violent demonstrations and
\nriots in East Timor.<\/p>\n
\"They stage demonstrations because they want independence. I
\ndon't agree with them. We can't work by ourselves. We don't have
\nthe knowhow and technology. We can't even make needles.\"<\/p>\n
Teresia Fatima Da Costa, 24, full time housewife with a junior
\nhigh school background, says integration allowed her to attend
\nschool.<\/p>\n
\"Integration means a lot to me because I could go to school.
\nThe Indonesian government is not as tough as the colonial rulers.
\nMy parents told me that under colonial rule, they had to pay huge
\nsums of money for tax.\"<\/p>\n
\"Today, we can go wherever we want to. I even flew to Java,
\nfree.\"<\/p>\n
Teresia got a free plane ride to Java in September 1991. She
\nwas one of about 100 high school graduates sent there for a
\nseven-month internship at Matahari Department Stores.<\/p>\n
Matahari, one of the biggest chain stores in the country, was
\nplanning to open a new store in Dili. On Nov.12, 1991, however, a
\nbloody riot broke in Dili, and Matahari canceled its investment
\nplans.<\/p>\n
Teresia returned to Dili in April 1992 and later married
\nMario, who was also a Matahari intern. She has two children from
\nthe marriage and is a housewife.<\/p>\n
\"I'd still want to work, if there was a chance. The government
\nshould make more efforts to cope with unemployment in East Timor.
\nI hope the private sector will invest and absorb some of the
\nunemployed.\"<\/p>\n
Domingos Pritas, 22, a security guard with a private company,
\nconsiders himself lucky to have a job.<\/p>\n
\"I know many people who are unemployed. I hope the government
\nwill pay more attention to unemployment,\" he says.<\/p>\n
Domingos, a high school graduate, was only two years old when
\nEast Timor integrated into Indonesia in 1976. He still vividly
\nremembers the conflict during the early years of integration.<\/p>\n
\"I remember, when I was four or five years old. I heard the
\nroar of warplanes passing over our house. I was not afraid. I was
\nexcited, but my parents were scared,\" he recalls.<\/p>\n
He says he has no complaints about the current situation,
\nwhich he says is relatively safe compared to 20 or 10 years ago.<\/p>\n
Bertha Imaculada, 19, daughter of a successful contractor.<\/p>\n
She has just graduated from high school and is planning to
\ncontinue her studies in the University of Jember, East Java, \"to
\nget more experience and to become independent.\"<\/p>\n
She says she is quite happy with the situation in East Timor,
\nwhich allows people access to adequate education.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know about politics and I don't want to get involved
\nin politics. I want to concentrate on my studies. That is the
\nmost important thing for my future.\"<\/p>\n
Juliana, who is in her 60s, is the mother of seven children.
\nShe sells tais (East Timorese traditional cloths) for a living.<\/p>\n
She refuses to talk about the past and looks confused when
\nasked about integration.<\/p>\n
\"If you want to buy my tais, please make your choice. Why are
\nyou asking these questions? I don't know what integration is and
\nI don't care.\"<\/p>\n
\"What is important for me is to survive, to eat and to drink,\"
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
Abilio Da Costa X, University of East Timor student and
\ncommander of the students' military corps, is concerned that
\nreligious and racial riots are still breaking out.<\/p>\n
\"I thank the security people who handled the situation well
\nand contained the problem,\" Abilio says.<\/p>\n
\"I call upon the people, especially those who belong to the
\nminority, to resign themselves to the situation in East Timor,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Abilio said spiritual guidance is important for East Timorese
\nyouths. But \"material guidance\" is no less important.<\/p>\n
\"What I mean by material guidance is the guidance to find
\njobs,\" he says, noting that most of those people involved in the
\nriots are unemployed. (sim)<\/p>",
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