Policy on East Timor needs review, Muladi says
Policy on East Timor needs review, Muladi says
JAKARTA (JP): Nearly twenty years after East Timor's integration into Indonesia, priorities in the territory have changed and so should the central government's policy toward East Timor, an academic said yesterday.
Muladi, a law expert and member of the National Commission on Human Rights, suggested that the government form a special team to research the best ways of handling development of East Timor.
"The team should directly answer to the President so that it can do its job seriously," Muladi, who is also rector of the Semarang-based Diponegoro University, told The Jakarta Post.
"Although it has been part of Indonesia for nearly 20 years, the conditions (in East Timor) are still the same. There must be something wrong," he said.
Muladi, the rector of the Semarang-based Diponegoro University, is one of the commission's team members that recently investigated the killings of six suspected Fretilin rebels in Liquisa regency in East Timor on Jan. 12.
He visited East Timor twice last month as part of the fact- finding team, which is expected to announce its finding later this week.
The Indonesian government has considerably developed the youngest province in its construction of several thousand kilometers of roads. However, he said, it is never sure what the locals really need. "Is it cooperatives or something else that they need? The (proposed) team could find the answer"
Muladi observed that poor law enforcement is something that needs to be addressed in the impoverished former Portuguese colony if an 'all is equal before the law' ideal can be achieved.
He said he was aware of those criticizing the heavy presence of intelligence officers, but added: "Their presence is needed as long as it is not so heavy that they scare the people," he said.
The strong impression that extra-judicial practices are widespread in the province should be erased with good law enforcement, he said.
Muladi also proposed that the human rights commission open an office in East Timor to respond to local people's plea for one. The branch office, he added, would accommodate complaints of alleged human rights abuses.
Insecurity
On a separate occasion, a senior provincial government official in the East Timor capital of Dili has confirmed reports that "a great number" of East Timorese of Chinese descent has applied for official documents to emigrate to Australia. largely because they no longer feel secure enough to do business.
The source said the number of people rushing for migration documents was probably "less than 2,000".
In January, the Suara Timor Timur put the number at "about 1,000" -- with the majority having relatives in Australia.
Alex Samara, owner of Hotel Turismo, warned that the migration of many businessmen may worsen the mounting unemployment problem in the territory.
"I think the government should address the problem by providing guidance and legal protection to businessmen. Who will do business if the situation is full of uncertainties," he said.
Businessman Nanda said his relative has planned to sell PT Suai Indah, a major company in East Timor, to open a new business in Australia.
The rush to leave East Timor came in spite of the government's tireless efforts to encourage investors to come and do business in the territory.
The East Timor provincial administration, concerned about the rising unemployment among the young people, is also considering to bar migrants from outside the province from gaining employment in the territory. (har/yac/pan)