RI needs 100 years to socialize tribes

RI needs 100 years to socialize tribes

JAKARTA (JP): The government needs at least 100 years to
socialize an estimated 1.2 million tribal people living in
isolated areas across Indonesia, according to an official.

"But the government will try to shorten the time to about 25
years," the social affairs ministry's director for the guidance
of isolated tribal people, Soegito, said last week.

Soegito told Antara that the government was seeking the best
strategies to provide the 1.2 isolated tribal people with the
necessary basic education and training necessary for them to
catch up with the progress made by most other citizens.

Over the past 25 years, the government has socialized about
300,000 isolated tribal people, or about 15 percent of the total
number of isolated backward people in 20 provinces, he said.

Currently, there are 1.2 million tribal people living in
isolated areas in 18 provinces, he said, adding that last year
the ministry socialized 1,283 people.

With the available funds, the government is able to educate
only 2,000 people every year, he said.

Soegito said that in the future the government would try to
involve major companies operating near tribal people's hamlets in
the education process.

In Riau, for example, the government would link up with the
giant oil company Caltex, and in Irian Jaya it would work with
the mining company PT Freeport Indonesia, Soegito said.

The ministry also planned to involve universities and other
educational institutions in the project, he said.

Last year, the government established a working group to
formulate strategies for assisting isolated people, he added.
(pan)