Why Mega must go to Dili

Geopolitical reasons dictate that President Megawati Soekarnoputri should be present in Dili on the occasion of the independence of Timor Lorosae and the installation of President Xanana Gusmao. The fact is that an independent state, formerly the 27th province of the Republic of Indonesia, will be born on the island of Timor, which is within Indonesia's geopolitical domain.

There are many that maintain that this development need not have happened. But we have only ourselves to blame, that despite all our good intentions and sociopolitical investment in the former province, after serious upheavals the United Nations, as interim administrator, is preparing it for independence. The important step that Jakarta has to take at this stage is to develop a strategic view concerning Timor Lorosae in the sense of transforming it into a good neighbor, and not a potential source of problems. President Megawati's presence in Dili on May 20 to take part in the festivities welcoming the birth of the new nation and state is meant to underscore that strategic step. A number of items should be addressed in laying the foundations of a mutually beneficial relationship between Jakarta and Dili.

First, whatever problems that remain as a consequence of the changed status of East Timor should be comprehensively resolved.

A number of meetings have been held between Indonesia and the United Nations Transitional Administration for East Timor (UNTAET) to discuss the inherited problems, such as the status and financial obligations to members of the Indonesian civil service in the former province, the status of the assets of the former Indonesian provincial administration, the status and obligations to students from East Timor who are studying under Indonesian state scholarships in various institutions of higher learning in Indonesia and a number of related issues.

We suggest that Jakarta be magnanimous and not waste time bickering over trivialities, especially with regard to the East Timorese students. We strongly recommend that the Megawati government continue to finance their studies and after their graduation offer them the opportunity to return to Timor Lorosae. They will be our best investment to maintain good neighborly relations. We would also like to suggest that President Megawati in going to Dili should carry with her at least three programs to be offered to President Xanana Gusmao's new government.

First, a program to sustain the teaching and usage of the Indonesian language (Bahasa Indonesia), which by now is used as a means of social communication in Timor Lorosae. Megawati on the occasion of her visit could perhaps donate a few thousands copies of the Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (General Dictionary of the Indonesian Language) published by Balai Pustaka in Jakarta. This dictionary is a reliable reference of the Indonesian language that is still being taught in some schools in Timor Lorosae.

Megawati could also offer the services of at least a few hundred teachers of the Indonesian language and literature to work in Timor Lorosae as part of the Indonesian assistance program. There are strong reasons why we should promote the teaching of the Indonesian language in Timor Lorosae since it could function as an effective instrument for good bilateral relations.

Second, President Megawati should offer a modest program of assistance in agricultural development to the new Xanana government. During the Indonesian administration of East Timor some innovative agricultural programs were introduced in the former province. A small Indonesian agricultural mission could assist Timor Lorosae in laying the foundations of a suitable agricultural base.

As a third item we would like to suggest that President Megawati offer her counterpart in Dili the services of a small team of Indonesian specialists with long experience in negotiating energy contracts based on the Indonesian concept of production sharing. It is in Indonesia's interests that Timor Lorosae should benefit from its energy resources so that it will not become an international basket case.

It should therefore be clear that the need for President Megawati to go to Dili need no longer to be questioned. The important thing is to formulate the geopolitical foundations that can highlight why it is in Indonesia's long-term interests to establish a stable relationship with Timor Lorosae. It might also be advisable for President Megawati to stop over in Kupang on her way home to Jakarta, to explain those reasons, both to the local administration and to the community at large.