The Jakarta Post, October 22, 2004
Many Indonesian businesspeople will come to E. Timor to invest
On the sidelines of his visit here to attend the inauguration of President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla, East Timorese Prime Minister
Mari Alkatiri talked on Wednesday with The Jakarta Post's Veeramalla Anjaiah and
Adianto P. Simamora. The following are excerpts of the interview.
Question: What do you think of a retired Army general, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
becoming Indonesia's new president?
Answer: Let me first congratulate Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla for
their victory in the first-ever direct presidential election. I would also like to
congratulate all leaders of Indonesia, particularly Ibu Megawati Soekarnoputri, for the
successful democratic election process.
President Susilo is not new to us, we have met him several times already and know
him very well. I can describe the President as an open-minded person, and very
competent in his duties. I am sure he will become one of the best presidents of
Indonesia. We are ready to work with him in the interests of both countries, and
strengthen our relations further.
How does Indonesia figure in your country's foreign policy?
Indonesia is one of the most important countries to us. East Timor is a very small
country dwarfed between two big countries in the region: Australia and Indonesia.
What we are looking for are the best possible relations with Indonesia. These ties are
based on our historic, political, economic and geostrategic interests.
What about economic relations?
They are good. Some Indonesian companies have already been operating in East
Timor. By end of this year, we will have a new package of laws, especially investment
laws. These laws are intended to attract foreign investment. I think many Indonesian
businesspeople will come to East Timor to invest. Indonesia is one of our biggest
trade and economic partners.
What is your government's stance on the verdicts handed down in cases of human
rights abuses in East Timor?
As the Prime Minister of East Timor, I don't want to make any comment on courts in
foreign countries. It would not be appropriate of me to comment on Indonesian courts.
As far as the courts in East Timor are concerned, I can tell you that more people have
been convicted. So far, these courts are administered by personnel from the United
Nations, not from East Timor. I think, these courts have not achieved 100 percent
success in dealing with serious crime. But, they have been doing a good job. And
now we are approaching the end of the UN's presence in East Timor. We have already
begun some discussions on how to administer these courts once the UN has left the
country. We have to do something to continue the legal process.
Still, there are some contentious issues, like Indonesian assets and the demarcation
of borders. What is your government's stance on these problems?
Relations are very good at the highest levels. Of course, we are aware that some
issues are still pending. We have held a series of talks on reaching a land-border
agreement and they are in the final phase. We are yet to reach an agreement on
maritime boundaries. We have many avenues to resolve these pending issues. And
we have this issue of assets. We are working on it. We need a particular kind of
approach to resolve it.
Could you tell us about the around 400 Indonesians who are staying at a mosque in
Dili? How you are going to settle this matter?
There are around 400 Indonesians staying at the mosque. They are illegals. They
don't want to be legalized, but they claim they are East Timorese. Our foreign affairs,
labor and human rights offices are working with them, trying to implement our laws in
our country. I am sure that if the same situation happened in another country, they
would have been expelled from the country by now. Since it is the holy month of
Ramadhan, we stopped pressurizing them. They are still there.
Being a Muslim prime minister in the predominantly catholic East Timor, how do you
feel and what kind of difficulties do you face?
Personally, I am a Muslim, though not a leader of the Muslim community in East
Timor. I have been telling the people that as a politician and as a prime minister, I
have no religion. I did not get this job because of my religion. I got it because of my
involvement in the struggle for freedom, and my position in the ruling party. I am the
prime minister of both Muslims and Christians, and the entire population of East Timor
for that matter.
There is no discrimination against Muslims, who are the minority in East Timor. The
Catholic church is very tolerant and the Muslim community has always been
integrated into society, while maintaining differences in religion and some rituals. The
400 Indonesians, who are staying at the mosque, refused to integrate with East
Timorese society. That's the problem. The spirit and sense of tolerance in East Timor
is really very high.
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