East Timor invites Indonesia to set up language center
East Timor invites Indonesia to set up language center
Endy M. Bayuni, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
East Timor has invited Indonesia to set up a library and a
cultural center as part of the two countries' efforts to widen
bilateral ties beyond economics into cultures.
Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, however, stressed that in spite
of the wide use of Bahasa Indonesia among his people, his
government would continue to insist on using Portuguese as the
medium for teaching at schools in his newly independent country.
Alkatiri ended on Thursday a working visit to Indonesia to
discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations between the
countries, as well as to address outstanding issues from East
Timor's separation from Indonesia in 1999.
"We have proposed to Indonesia to set up an Indonesian
language institute in Dili, perhaps a library or a cultural
center," Alkatiri said.
He said the Indonesian language was widely used in the country
and would likely remain so, noting that some 2,000 East Timorese
were currently studying at Indonesian universities.
The proposal was one of several items discussed by officials
from the two countries during Alkatiri's three-day visit.
East Timor's constitution specifies Portuguese and Tetum (the
local dialect) as the country's official languages, but the
government also recognizes Indonesian and English as working
languages.
The abrupt change from Bahasa Indonesia, the official language
used when East Timor was ruled by Jakarta between 1975 and 1999,
to Portuguese has reportedly caused problems among children in
the country. Dili has flown in Portuguese teachers to help with
the change.
Alkatiri, who spent his years in exile in Mozambique before
returning to East Timor in 1999, admitted that it was easier to
learn Bahasa Indonesia than Portuguese, and that there was some
resistance among East Timorese to learning Portuguese.
Portugal ruled East Timor for over 400 years until 1975.
Alkatiri said the government's decision to use Portuguese as
the country's official language was grounded in historical as
well as strategic reasons.
"For a small country, in order to survive, we have to be
different, we must not become simply an extension of another
country," he said.
Asked whether using Portuguese was only making the country an
extension of Lisbon, he said Portugal was a long way from East
Timor.
"We're not looking to kill Bahasa Indonesia," he said.
"Five to 10 years from now, we will reintroduce Bahasa
Indonesia in our primary schools.
"Bahasa Melayu, I think it is better to talk about Bahasa
Melayu (instead of Bahasa Indonesia), will be the lingua franca
of this region," he said.