East Timor art, culture on display

JAKARTA (JP): East Timorese youths, in cooperation with the Communication Forum of Eastern Indonesian Youths, will open a brief, two-day culture and art exhibition at the Sahid Jaya Hotel today.

"We hope that people will go away with a positive impression of young East Timorese after seeing this exhibition," Ligia Amaral, chairwoman of the exhibition committee, said in a press conference at the Armed Forces headquarters yesterday.

The exhibition, which will include handicrafts and home industry products, closes tomorrow night.

"We want to eradicate the impression that young East Timorese are all mere protesters and asylum seekers," she added.

Ligia said that it is difficult to erase the negative impression of East Timorese people.

"Besides, some East Timorese are still unaware of the importance of East Timor's integration into Indonesia," she said.

East Timor was integrated into Indonesia in 1976 and then adopted as Indonesia's 27th province. However, the United Nations sill regards Portugal as its legitimate administrator.

Ligia said prolonged isolation, as a result of 450 years of Portuguese colonization, has left the provinces behind in terms of development programs.(imn)