East Timor leaders look back on 1994<\/p>\n
DILI, East Timor (JP): The various incidents and events in
\nEast Timor in 1994 provide valuable lessons for those who rule
\nand administer East Timor, leaders in the province say.<\/p>\n
The upheavals that occurred in East Timor were our own fault,
\nsaid Governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares. \"We mustn't be reluctant
\nto admit that we were wrong when we were wrong ... Let's not be
\nashamed of our own shortcomings.\"<\/p>\n
Abilio, a staunch supporter of East Timor's integration into
\nIndonesia, stressed that it was the decision of the majority of
\nEast Timorese to join the republic.<\/p>\n
East Timor is resolute that it wants to develop the territory
\nand catch up with the rest of Indonesia, he said.<\/p>\n
That there are problems and opposition from within East Timor,
\n\"that is something which needs looking into to study the
\nbackground and the reasons for the upheavals.\"<\/p>\n
Col. Kiki Syahnakri, promoted to lead the Wira Dharma Military
\nCommand in East Timor a few months ago, said the upheavals in
\nEast Timor could not all be attributed to anti-integration
\nelements.<\/p>\n
The Armed Forces (ABRI) is always reviewing its various
\napproaches to problems in East Timor, and would be willing to
\nimprove them as necessary, Col. Kiki said.<\/p>\n
Antonio Freitas Parada, the chairman of the East Timor
\nLegislative Assembly, said the problem in the territory is not a
\nlack of law but the lack of its enforcement.<\/p>\n
Antonio said even the least insignificant of laws, such as
\ntraffic regulations, are not fully upheld, and are even abused by
\nthose in power at times. \"If those in power do not uphold the
\nlaw, how can they expect the people to respect the law?\" he
\nasked.<\/p>\n
He said it was also wrong to accuse those who did not abide by
\nthe law of being anti-integration.<\/p>\n
Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, the head of the Roman
\nCatholic Church in East Timor, also said that what East Timor
\nneeds now is to see justice carried out.<\/p>\n
The Bishop said injustice, discrimination and violence are
\nstill prevalent in East Timor and these are causing some East
\nTimorese to want to leave the territory and live in exile.<\/p>\n
Bishop Belo also said that the East Timor issue must be
\nresolved in the United Nations in a just manner once and for all.
\n(yac)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/east-timor-leaders-look-back-on-1994-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}