Why Mega must go to Dili

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.