DILI, EAST TIMOR, February 5: East Timorese civil servants on Thursday chipped in modest amounts of foreign currencies as part of an "I love rupiah" campaign started by the Indonesian elite to restore confidence in the country's ailing currency.At a gathering of more than 500 civil servants in one of the poorest parts of the archipelago, $102 was exchanged along with $126 Australian dollars ($85), $22 Singapore dollars ($13), 10 Dutch guilders ($5) and 200 French francs ($33).
Almost 17 grams (0.6 ounces) of gold was collected and 39.7 million rupiah ($4,260) donated to the government.
The "I love rupiah" campaign was launched last month when the eldest daughter of Indonesian president Suharto exchanged $50,000 for rupiah in a public ceremony in attempt to support the currency.
At one point during the current economic crisis the currency had lost more than 80 per cent of its value.
The Dili ceremony, also known as the "I love Indonesia" movement, was led by East Timor's Jakarta-appointed governorAbilio Soares at his seaside offices in the capital of the former Portuguese colony."This is an act of solidarity as our nation is experiencing a very heavy shock at the moment," Soares told the gathering.
"Those people who don't have money do not have to contribute. They will not be forced," he added.
Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975, annexing it the following year in an act not recognised by the United Nations which still regards Portugal as the territory's administrator.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
