Establish 'twin cities' to redress gaps: Soeharto

YOGYAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto has called on people in the western part of the Indonesian archipelago to establish "twin city" relationships with cities in the less developed eastern region as a means of closing economic gaps.

"I call on families from certain cities to develop twin city (ties) in order to facilitate development throughout the country," Soeharto said at a ceremony marking National Family Day yesterday.

In his speech, Soeharto mentioned the differences that existed between the eastern and the western parts of the country, and called on the community, and families as its smallest unit, to help redress the gaps.

"Let us provide the opportunity and assistance to families in the eastern region to invite their brothers from the more developed region to share their manpower, their financial resources and other advantages," he said.

Yesterday's event was also meant to mark National Agriculture, Cooperatives and Family Planning Day, celebrating the country's advances in all three fields.

First Lady Tien Soeharto was present at the celebration. State Minister for Population Haryono Suyono, Minister of Agriculture Syarifudin Baharsyah and Minister for Cooperatives and Small Enterprises Subiakto Tjakrawerdaya also attended the ceremony, which was held at the Return to Yogya Monument complex.

The ceremony yesterday was also marked by a "graduation" of kindergarten-age children from Koranic study classes and the conferring of awards on six governors and a number of regents, mayors and other leaders considered to have been successful in developing their regions.

Among the governors who received awards were Riau Governor Soeripto, Jakarta Governor Surjadi Soedirdja and West Java Governor R. Nuriana.

Soeharto and his wife cut the top of traditional Javanese rice cone, locally known as nasi tumpeng, and gave it to the mother of a family representing members of the community who can be classified as "prosperous". The act was a symbolic gesture of thanksgiving and appreciation for the recipient's success in nurturing her family.

Later in the day, participants in the ceremony were treated to a cultural performance.

In his speech, President Soeharto called on parents and educators to provide children with religious values because, he said, "the future of a nation depends on the strength of its own morality and conduct".

Scientific and technological progress, hard work and modern management were not enough to guarantee the nation a safe passage toward the future, he said.

"In this connection, I welcome the chance to see the graduation of our children, which shows that they are able to read Arabic in order to understand the contents of the Koran," Soeharto said.

Yesterday was the second time Family Day has been celebrated in Indonesia.

President Soeharto approved last year of the choice of June 29 as National Family Day, saying it marked the reunion of freedom fighters in 1949 with their families after the siege of Yogyakarta, then the temporary capital of the young republic, by the Dutch.

The 74-year old President was then a young lieutenant colonel and was reunited with his wife and a toddler -- his first daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana.

Yesterday, Soeharto said the day was also meant to express gratitude to the countless villagers and other members of society who helped the freedom fighters and the country.

"One of the most appropriate ways to show this appreciation is by helping them develop themselves and their families," Soeharto said.

"And because most of those who live in rural areas are farmers, this display of gratitude should be related with the development of agriculture," he said.

He called for special attention to the development of agro- industry and agribusiness because, he said, the two fields represented a bridge between the high-productivity industrial sector and the agricultural sector.

"Most of the added-value obtained in the development process should be enjoyed by the farmers," he said. "That is why we should develop small-scale agro-industry, managed either by farming families or cooperatives." (swe/mun)