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)