E. Timorese in Indonesia now facing a bitter reality

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

For some East Timorese, who have become residents of Greater Jakarta, the declaration of East Timor's independence is an inevitable, bitter reality.

"It leaves a bitter feeling, but we have to face reality," said Lito Barros, an employee at the Indonesia in Miniature Park in East Jakarta.

Lito, who has chosen to remain an Indonesian citizen, however, said that he bore no grudge at all.

He also called on leaders in Indonesia and East Timor to end hatred and accept the reality that the former 27th province of Indonesia had now become an independent country.

"All that has happened in the past should be treated as history, whether it is sweet or bitter. We should not only think of the past, but how we can create better relations in the future," Lito told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

"I hate talking about politics, but in this case I want to stress that thinking about the future relations between the two countries is better than discussing bad experiences from the past," he said.

According to Lito, there are about 500 East Timorese who have chosen to stay as Indonesian citizens living in Greater Jakarta.

On Monday, East Timor will become the world's newest nation, with former independence fighter Xanana Gusmao as the country's first president.

Golkar Party politician Fransisco Fernandes Dasilba shared Lito's view, saying that as an Indonesian citizen, he would follow any decision made by the government.

But, he added, as a person who was born in East Timor, it was hard for him to accept Monday's declaration.

"For us it is not a declaration of independence, but a handover of independence from the UN to Fretilin," he said.

Assistant education officer at the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) Paulino Henrique Ribeiro, who has chosen to become an East Timor citizen, stressed the need for strong cooperation between East Timor and Indonesia.

He said that as a new country, East Timor still needed Indonesia. Some 1,100 East Timorese students were now still studying at various universities in Indonesia, he said.

He added that many high-ranking officials in the new country were university graduates who had formerly studied in Indonesia.

"I dare say that over 70 percent of the university graduates who now support the East Timor government used to study at various Indonesian universities," said Paulino, who still holds an ID card issued by Depok municipality.