Forms to list teachers cause dispute

JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Education and Culture has issued forms to teachers working in East Timor, the head of the East Timor education and culture office, Andry Sutardi, said Monday, but denied that teachers were evacuating the province.

"It has to be clear that it is not a form for transition. It's an ordinary form issued by the ministry to gather data about teachers here," Andry said. But rumors circulated that teachers were being moved outside East Timor following escalating political tension there.

"Most of the teachers here are happy about the government options given to East Timor," Andry said, of recent announcement that the government would consider giving the province independence if negotiations for its offer of wide-ranging autonomy failed. Children were already singing farewell songs to Indonesia, he added.

Military District 164/Wira Dharma Chief Col. Tono Suratman requested the ministry to withdraw the newly issued forms to avoid further confusion.

East Timor has 3,498 junior and high school teachers and 6,896 elementary school teachers, plus some 300 ministry employees.

In Jakarta on Monday, Minister of Education and Culture Juwono Sudarsono called on the Armed Forces to provide a guarantee of security to the teachers and their families.

Following the assault on two doctors by angry mobs last Tuesday, 10 doctors from the Dili General Hospital met with Wayan, head of the local health office, also seeking transfers to other regions. Eight of them will leave within two days.

On Monday, after one of the attackers apologized, the hospital, which had been closed, resumed its activities. (33/edt)