The voice of the Timorese
people By Lukeno Ribeiro
Alkatiri
SINGAPORE - The last few weeks
have seen extreme violence and fear on Timorese
soil. But what is the origin of this crisis? This
temporary crisis is a result of the will of
minority groups led or motivated by certain
entities to destabilize the promising development
of the young Timorese nation, which has already
started and has been extremely evident during the
last four years.
The bright future of
Timor-Leste's development is guaranteed not just
by the competent work of the Timorese government,
led by
Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri,
but is also guaranteed by the strong majority of
Timorese people all over the country. The positive
popularity of Timor-Leste's government is
undeniable and it has been witnessed by anyone who
has been in the country, especially by those who
find more important the interaction with the
locals instead of "diplomatic" talks with
ambassadors or representatives of other nations.
Articles like As East Timor burns ... by
Loro Horta (May 27) tend to misread the reality in
Timor-Leste and to promote non-existent facts
created to destroy the stability of the country.
The first of the few points mentioned by this
"intellectual" scholar aims to criticize the
re-election of Mari Alkatiri as the secretary
general of Fretilin, which is the leading
political party in the country.
Horta
describes the voting system (show of hands) used
in the election as contradictory to the party's
"own internal rules". The ignorance of this
statement shows how poorly connected Loro Horta is
with the reality of the country and especially
with the affairs of Fretilin. The Fretilin statues
were reviewed and approved on the second National
Congress, which took place in Dili from May 17-19.
They provide the freedom of choice between open
and secret voting to elect national bodies, such
as the president and the secretary general of
Fretilin.
The majority of the congress
delegates preferred an open voting system with a
simple show of hands, and everyone's vote was
respected equally. The congress involved 586
delegates, including 464 party members
(four-fifths of the total) who were elected at the
grassroots level in each district conference. Five
hundred and fifteen delegates out of a total of
566 delegates (97%) who were present at the
election time voted for the re-election of
Francisco Guterres Lu'olo as president and Mari
Alkatiri as secretary general. Therefore the
re-election of both leaders was based on the party
rules.
Still criticizing Alkatiri, Loro
Horta used the prime minister's racial and
religious background as a reason for Alkatiri's
"unpopularity" in a country with a Catholic
majority. Once again the author of the article
promotes misleading information that contradicts
with the reality of the nation. Mari Alkatiri took
over the leadership of the Timorese government as
a result of the 2001 legislative elections under
UN auspices in which Fretilin won the support of
the majority of the Timorese people. This was a
decision of the Timorese people, who chose a party
whose leadership included this historical veteran
of the Timorese struggle for independence. The
majority voted for Fretilin in 2001 with the
previous knowledge that Mari Alkatiri was the
secretary general of the party. This fact is
evidence that, unlike the minority groups who have
been encouraging violence in the country, the
majority of Timorese people look beyond race and
religion and keep the spirit of nationalism and
democracy safe.
Second, Horta shows his
"idolization" for Western politics and political
systems by bringing up, among other unreliable
points, the arrival of Cuban doctors, who have
been very committed to aiding the people without
asking for anything in return, as a reason for
objections by certain Western governments. Doctors
are needed in this country that is slowly but
strongly developing, and the Cuban doctors have
gained the Timorese people's respect and trust for
their incomparable help. The existence of the
Latin American doctors in Timor-Leste should not
be seen as a "pick" of international political
sides, but as recognition of a generous gesture of
support by a friendly nation.
The
intelligent scholar recalls previous events by
criticizing the government for taking decisive
stands to maintain peace and prosperity in
Timor-Leste. Loro Horta fails to mention, or
ignores, the existence of rebel forces led by
individuals with an ambitious thirst for power as
the ones responsible for the past and recent
violent events.
It is certain that the
Timorese will overcome this violent but temporary
situation with the aid of international forces as
well as with the positive actions by their leaders
and government. The government will not resign as
long as the voice of the Timorese people doesn't
ask them to. And until now the people have decided
to keep their trust in the government led by Mari
Alkatiri, a fact, as said before, known to anyone
who has closely witnessed the recent events.
To my friend Loro, I shall advise him to
come to the country he knows so much about, and
try to find some free time in his "diplomatic
agenda" to hear what the Timorese people have to
say. Stop dreaming and being a professional and
eternal student. Stop trying to please your boss
as a way to get scholarships. You know nothing
about Timor- Leste, believe me.
Lukeno Ribeiro Alkatiri is the
son of East Timorese Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri.
He filed this letter to the editor of Asia Times
Online from the National University of Singapore.
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