Portuguese manuscripts

DILI, East Timor: Local literary figure Eugenio C.J. Sarmento has said the large number of manuscripts left behind by the Portuguese colonial administration should be preserved for future East Timorese.

Antara quoted Sarmento as saying how tribal leaders still possessed letters of recognition as kings of their regions issued by the Portuguese. "The documents are rolled and stored in bamboo tubes," Sarmento said. "They should be preserved because they will someday be an invaluable legacy the future generations will need to learn."

Sarmento himself still has 48 books from the colonial era, given to him by members of the traditional legislative councils in Viqueque, Manatuto, Suai, Ainaro, Dili, Liquisa and Oekusi in East Timor, and Atambua, Maumere and Sika in neighboring East Nusa Tenggara province. These councils supervised the kings.

Sarmento said the documents revealed that in 1860, East Timor was divided into ten military districts, which increased in 1863 to eleven in order to strengthen the Portuguese's colonial power.

The territory was later divided into 13 regencies, which remain to this day, because of frequent rebellions against the Portuguese.

East Timor integrated into Indonesia in 1976, but the United Nations still recognizes Portugal as the territory's administering power. (swe)