statement on tetum en final

8/9/2019 Statement on Tetum en FINAL

1/3

Joint Statement by the Sovereign Organs of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste on the Use of Official Tetum

The President of the Republic convened a meeting at his Office, in Bairro do Farol,

which was attended by the President of the Republic, the President of the NationalParliament and the Prime Minister, who were accompanied respectively by the GoodwillAmbassador for Education, Mrs. Kirsty Sword Gusmo, the Minister of Education, Mr.Joo Cncio, and the Chairman of Parliamentary Committee F on Health, Education andCulture, Mr.Virglio Maral.

The following people were also invited to the meeting: the Director of the NationalInstitute of Linguistics (INL) and Rector of the National University Timor Lorosae, Mr.Benjamim Corte-Real, as well as other staff from INL, Father Apolinrio AparcioGuterres, representing the Bishop of Dili, and the Members of the Catholic LiturgicalCommission, Father Leo da Costa, Father Jos Antnio da Costa and Father Domingos

Alves, who were appointed by the Bishops of Baucau and Dili to attend the meeting.

xxx

The meeting was convened in the wake of a visit by the President of the Republic to the National Institute of Linguistics, on 31 October 2008 with a view to taking stock of thestatus of Tetum as a national and co-official language of Timor-Leste which the State hasa duty to value and develop, pursuant to the Constitution (article 13).

The President of the Republic, the Parliament and the Government are aware that Tetumis essential for building the nation and the State in Timor-Leste, for national unity and

cohesion and for asserting East Timorese identity. Tetum, as a national and co-officiallanguage, should be a pillar supporting the unity of all East-Timorese, facilitatingcommunication between them, bridging generations and diverse geographic origins and

being an instrument for education and culture.

xxx

The President of the Republic, the Parliament and the Government acknowledged that theState of Timor-Leste has already adopted a standard orthography for Tetum, known astetun ofisil , which was developed by the National Institute of Linguistics and that theState has designated the latter institution as the scientific guardian of tetun ofisil .(Decree no. 1/2004 of 14 April)

But they have also acknowledged that despite a growing use of the standard spelling of Tetum, the employment of the official orthography is far from being widespread in Stateinstitutions and civil society, due to a lack of awareness about the standard spelling or ignorance of the law or because differences of opinion persist on how to spell Tetumwords.


2/3

In particular, the President of the Republic, the Parliament and the Government noted thatdifferences of opinion on the orthography of Tetum subsist between the National Instituteof Linguistics, which based its standard spelling on rigorous linguistic principlesgenerally acknowledged by the international scientific community, and the CatholicChurch of Timor-Leste, who played a pioneering role in compiling and transcribing the

vocabulary of Tetum and whose preferred spelling reflects therefore a long-windedhistorical and cultural process, as witnessed in liturgical and catechetical works.

The National Institute of Linguistics and the Catholic Church of Timor-Leste wereinvited to present their respective point of view on the orthography of Tetum at themeeting. Both institutions submitted very valuable contributions that helped participantsunderstand more clearly where there is convergence and divergence of opinions.

xxx

The President of the Republic, the Parliament and the Government concur that the

development of Tetums orthography is a process spanning more than one century andthat many have contributed to it with fundamental insights and innovations, particularlythe Catholic Church. And that any process aimed at standardising or reforming a

particular orthography will require a willingness on the part of stakeholders to sacrificetheir personal preferences or feelings.

But they are also aware that the ongoing development of the State and the Nation of Timor-Leste and the challenges that lie ahead require the resolute adoption and swiftdissemination of a single orthographic standard that is coherent and applicable to allthe other national languages of Timor-Leste. The standard orthography that is in force,tetun ofisil , meets those requirements. And it is increasingly being disseminated in theeducation system, from basic education to university, as a result of the efforts undertaken

by the authorities together with the development partners.

A standard spelling system is essential to develop a comprehensive and quality educationsystem that will educate our children and prepare them for the challenges of the future; toconduct literacy campaigns aimed at reducing illiteracy and in the process alleviate

poverty; to establish a modern Civil Service that will serve Timor-Lestes citizens; tofoster a publishing industry that will divulge national culture and traditions and exposeEast Timorese citizens to the cultural productions of other peoples and civilisations; todevelop media outlets that will inform citizens with rigour and contribute to raise criticaland independent minds; to create a literary medium that will convey the thoughts andfeelings of the East Timorese and be their window onto the world.

xxx

Thus, the President of the Republic, the Parliament and the Government, convinced thatthey are expressing the best interests of the East Timorese People and Nation:


3/3

Hereby undertake to adopt, respect and enforce the standard spelling of tetunofisil and to involve in this commitment all institutions and agencies under their

purview, or working with them in partnership, or benefitting from the financialassistance of the State, namely the Civil Service and other State institutions,including public and private educational institutions and all those that are

somehow associated with information and culture. Hereby undertake to promote tetun ofisil within the framework of a National

Policy for the Languages, to be drafted and approved by the competent bodies of the State in consultation with the Catholic Church and other sectors of EastTimorese society, namely by promoting the teaching of the standard spelling andgrammar of tetun ofisil in all institutions and agencies under their purview, aswell as to promote and support initiatives aimed at teaching and raising awarenessfor tetun ofisil in civil society.

Hereby undertake to respect the divergent approach to orthography by the

Catholic Church in their liturgical and catechetical works in view of its past rolein the development of Tetum.

Hereby undertake to work in a spirit of openness with all those who have aninterest in and are concerned with the languages of Timor-Leste, and to regularlyassess the progress made with a view to achieving an increasingly comprehensivestandardisation of the orthography.

Hereby undertake not to undervalue or disregard the other national languages of Timor-Leste, which also should be studied, promoted and developed within theframework of a National Policy for the Languages.

Hereby undertake to support and develop the National Institute of Linguistics sothat it may fully discharge the mission that was bestowed upon it by law.

Farol, 5 December 2008

statement on tetum en final

Documents