Intro to cover story

Intro to cover story

This coming Wednesday marks the 20th anniversary of East
Timor's integration into Indonesia.

On July 17, 1976, President Soeharto signed into law a
legislation enacted by the House of Representatives a day earlier
which accepted an East Timorese petition to join the republic.

The petition itself was signed by tribal leaders representing
the majority of East Timorese in December 1975 at the height of a
bloody civil war which erupted in the wake of the hasty
withdrawal of the Portuguese colonial administration.

In the last 20 years, Indonesia has poured billions of rupiah
into East Timor to build infrastructure which was virtually
nonexistent at the time of integration. The money went towards
the construction of roads, schools, hospitals, places of worship
and other facilities.

The government, however, continues to face dissension from
East Timorese within and outside the province. Members of
Fretilin, an armed group seeking a separate state, continue to
wage a sporadic guerrilla battle from their jungle hideout. There
is also strong discontent among urban youths, which in recent
years has often translated into riots, sometimes with racial or
religious intonations.

Then there is also the question of the absence of
international recognition of the integration. The diplomatic
battle is far from being resolved and it is now being waged
through the United Nations, which still regards Lisbon as the
administering power.

In connection with the anniversary, The Jakarta Post presents
a series of articles on this page and pages 9, 10 and 11.