E. Timor pavillion, a tourist favorite

E. Timor pavillion, a tourist favorite
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Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

East Timor, which will be granted full independence as a new
country on Monday, still is represented by a pavilion in the
cultural park, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) or Beautiful
Indonesia Miniature Park.

It could well become an historical symbol memorializing
Indonesia's 24-year hold on the territory, as well as a place
where some of East Timor's rarest cultural artifacts are
preserved.

Additionally, it will highlight the cultural relations between
the two nations, as the pavilion has a number of cultural
artifacts, which are apparently difficult to find even in East
Timor. They include musical instruments, traditional weaponry,
fine arts, and traditional cloths.

"What you see here is evidence of the East Timor-Indonesian
cultural integration. Those items are very rare in East Timor
after the social upheaval and referendum in East Timor in 1999,"
Lito Barros, a TMII official at the pavilion, told The Jakarta
Post on Friday.

Lito, 53, an East Timorese man who chose to become an
Indonesian citizen, said that he and other East Timorese living
here were happy to see the pavilion maintained in the park.

Since it was established in 1980, it had often been used by
the East Timorese community in Indonesia as a venue for social
gatherings. But since 1999 there have been no such gatherings.

Like other pavilions at TMII before 1999, the East Timor
pavilion was run by East Timor's provincial administration. But
after the 1999 ballot, which led to the independence of the
territory, the pavilion was taken over by the park's management.

According to Lito, the East Timor pavilion is a favorite of
overseas guests. He said that nearly half of 4,000 monthly
visitors to the pavilion were from other countries.

From the messages written on the guest books, they expressed
the hope that the Indonesian government would maintain it.

One of the messages, which came from Armandina Gusmao, a
sister of President-elect Xanana Gusmao who visited in November
last year, read, "Please preserve these goods well as such things
are difficult to be found there (in East Timor)."

A similar message, according to the staff, came from M.P.
Numan, a journalist from Canada, who said he was delighted to see
that the Indonesian people had such great respect for East
Timorese history and hoped the cultural exhibition would remain
open.

Masud Toyip, the TMII manager for art, culture and tourist
affairs, said the management would use the pavilion as a museum,
which would be very useful for the young generation to know the
history of the two countries.

Lito said the pavilion in the future would be used by the East
Timorese, both those who are in Indonesia and visitors from East
Timor, to learn about their culture.

"As stated by Ms. Armandina that such items are scarce in East
Timor. It is very possible that in the future, they would come
here if they want to learn about East Timor culture," said Lito.