Widows to visit husbands' graves in East Timor
Widows to visit husbands' graves in East Timor
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto ordered Armed Forces
Commander Gen. Feisal Tanjung yesterday to provide transportation
for families of ABRI members killed in military operations in
East Timor.
The order was an answer by President Soeharto to the request
of widows who wanted to see their husbands' graveyards in East
Timor.
The widows' request was headed by Ellen Mangenda Rantung,
whose husband was killed in 1977, in the youngest province of
Indonesia.
"Pak Harto, please help us so that we can visit our husbands'
graves in East Timor," Ellen asked Soeharto during a meeting
between the President and 300 other widows of ABRI members killed
in action during battles in Irian Jaya and East Timor, and during
battles when Indonesia was in conflict with Malaysia.
President Soeharto, in his capacity as chairman of the Trikora
Foundation, met with the widows and their children who got
scholarships from the foundation.
The meeting was to commemorate the 34th anniversary of the
Trikora Foundation.
"Your request is very understandable, and as it is impossible
to remove their graves from there, the Armed Forces commander
will provide you with air or sea transportation to go to East
Timor," said Soeharto. General Feisal accompanied the President
during the meeting.
According to Indonesian military rule, the body of a soldier
killed in military action must be buried on location, and the
family or relatives have no right to remove it.
The former Portuguese colony of East Timor was integrated into
Indonesia in 1976 as its 27th province.
Indonesia sent troops there to fight against the communist-
backed Fretilin guerrillas, which unilaterally declared East
Timor's independence, while other parties like Apodeti, preferred
to integrate with Indonesia.
Hundreds of Indonesian soldiers were believed to have been
killed during the battles.
The Trikora Foundation was established in 1963 to help widows
and children of Indonesian soldiers killed in military operations
to help liberate West Irian from the Dutch in the 1960s.
Later it was expanded to cover families of soldiers who were
killed in Dwikora military operations in a confrontation against
Malaysia in Kalimantan, and Seroja operations in East Timor.
Irian Jaya was eventually returned to Indonesia, after a long
military clash with the Dutch. In August 1962, the Dutch
government agreed to hand over West Irian to Indonesia, after an
intensive negotiation mediated by the United Nations.
In his report to the President, the foundation's secretary
Syaukat Banjaransari said the foundation has extended
scholarships to 2,169 children for Trikora, and 512 for Seroja.
"Primary school students receive Rp 15,000 monthly, secondary
school students Rp 20,000, senior high school students Rp 25,000,
while university students receive Rp 45,000 a month," said
Syaukat.
"This assistance is a reflection of my responsibility as your
leader," said Soeharto.
The meeting was also attended by 24 tribal chiefs from Irian
Jaya. They were accompanied by three officials from UNESCO.
Soeharto told the Irianese that he would visit Irian Jaya this
year to officiate a bridge connecting Jayapura with Wamena.
He called on Irianese people to move from the mountains to
areas near the new road, because they can get better facilities
there. (06)