Antara - The Indonesian National News Agency

September 4, 2002

INDON WORKERS HELP BUILD E TIMOR

Atambua, E Nusa Tenggara, Sept 4 (ANTARA) - Hundreds of skilled Indonesian workers -- masons, carpenters, mechanics -- from East Nusa Tenggara province are working in newly independent East Timor.

"They are building houses of worship, schools, government offices and people's houses in urban areas down to the remote villages," a religious leader hailing from East Timor, Fr Mateus do Rosario da Cruz, said here Wednesday.

Fr Mateus pointed out that he had just returned from a visit to East Timor and witnessed the Indonesian workers doing their jobs there.

"Even the asphalting of some roads has been manned by Indonesian workers from East Nusa Tenggara," he said.

According to him, the same phenomenon -- Indonesians working in East Timor -- had happened during the integration era from 1976 to 1999.

Fr Mateus noted that people from East Nusa Tenggara are hard workers and not quarrelsome, while East Timorese youths have a tendency to vie for office jobs.

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