JAKARTA (July 4, 2019) - The Ministry of Social Affairs continues discussions on the management of the Heroes Cemetery (TMP) in Timor Leste. The Ministry of Social Affairs seeked on more efficient tomb management while respecting the services of heroes.

Minister of Social Affairs, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita emphasized that the maintenance of TMP was a proof of the Indonesian’s appreciation towards the services of the nation's heroes and fighters.

“Our mutual appreciation and responsibility towards them is to organize and optimize the management of TMPs, including TMP in Timor Leste," said the Minister of Social Affairs, in Jakarta, Thursday (4/7 // 2019)

To all the heads of related units in the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Minister said that those buried in the TMP Seroja Dili were the bodies of Indonesia’s proud heroes and fighters.

To the heads of all the related units in the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Minister said that the bodies buried in the Seroja Dili TMP were the bodies of Indonesia's proud heroes and fighters. They died because they fought for the interests and ideals of the nation and state.

Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the physical condition of the TMP without overlooking the efficiency of budget management. The Social Minister's statement responded to the preparations made by the Directorate General of Social Empowerment in optimizing the management of the TMP Seroja Dili.

"As we know, heroes cemeteries were scattered in various districts in Timor Leste. We need to reorganize them in order to streamline maintenance costs, as well as to optimize the quality of care, "said Director General of Social Empowerment, Pepen Nazaruddin when chairing the Meeting on Optimization of the Seroja Heroes Cemetery in East Timor, which was held in the Meeting Room of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Jakarta, Wednesday (07/03/2017).

Present at this meeting were those helped in overseeing the plan for restructuring of the TMP Seroja Dili, including the Indonesian Ambassador to Timor Leste, the Southeast Asia Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Director of Poverty Prevention and Social Welfare of National Development Planning Board (Bappenas), the Budget Director for the Human Development and Culture of Ministry of Finance, and echelon II officials at the Ministry of Social Affairs.

According to Pepen, this meeting was a follow up to his working visit to Timor Leste to discuss optimizing function of the TMPs in Timor Leste. "One of the tasks of the Directorate General of Social Empowerment is Maintenance of the TMPs and the Tombs of the National Heroes (MPN) both inside and outside the country," he said.

"It is our obligation is to maintain the physical condition of the tombs to appreciate their merits," Pepen said.

Director of Heroism, Pioneering, Solidarity and Social Restoration of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Hotman, said that the plan to restructure the TMP of Seroja had been long examined problem. But it had not been resolved yet.

"The Indonesian Embassy has conducted a survey since 2004 to see the possibilities on how reorganizing these scattered tombs," said Hotman. In 2009 a workgroup (Pokja) was formed to reorganize the Seroja TMP.

"And in 2019, the plan to restructure the TMP of Seroja will be discussed again," he said. The purpose of this meeting was to find out the extent of preparations for the TMP Seroja structuring plan and what things needed to be done to oversee the plan.


Head of Public Relations Bureau Ministry of Social Affairs RI

Sonny W Manalu