East Timor still part of TMII

JAKARTA (JP): East Timor may have separated from Indonesia, but in the Indonesia in Miniature park, the province is still represented as part of the country.

General Manager of the park, Wibisono Singgih, told Antara on Thursday that the East Timor pavilion has not been removed from the park.

"We still pay the East Timorese working in the pavilion as they do not want to return to their home town," he said.

He said that the park spends a total of Rp 2.5 billion on monthly operational costs for the entire facility, including maintenance expenses and employee salaries.

"The entrance fee is only Rp 4,000, much lower than the Ancol recreational park," he said.

Because the park is facing financial problems, management has asked the government for a tax deduction, which it used to enjoy prior to 1998, he said.

The Taman Mini park is celebrating its 26th anniversary with a week-long arts and cultural festival beginning on Sunday.

The event will include traditional and modern dance performances, a ketoprak (traditional Javanese play) show by the Samiadji group, and a discussion on the relationship between music and children, featuring musician Addie MS.

One of the featured choreographers is Guruh Soekarnoputra, Antara reported. A dangdut music concert will complete the celebrations.

The 26th anniversary of the Taman Mini falls on April 20.

Singgih underlined that the park did not belong to the Soeharto family, as some people seemed to think.

He said that it was built in 1972 by Yayasan Harapan Kita, a foundation chaired by former first lady Tien Soeharto, and in 1975 was handed over to the state. The park, however, is still under the management of the foundation.

He also denied the report that Soeharto owned a luxury house in the park compound, saying that it is located outside the area.(sim)