President B. J. Habibie Bridge Explained

President B. J. Habibie Bridge
Carries:Road vehicles, pedestrians
Locale:Bidau Santana, Dili,
Official Name:B. J. Habibie Bridge
Named For:B. J. Habibie
Material:Concrete, steel
Lanes:2
Builder:Bhakti Timor Karya (BTK)
Cost:US$4 million
Inaugurated:29 August 2019
References:[1] [2] [3]

The President B. J. Habibie Bridge (Portuguese: Ponte Presidente B. J. Habibie, Tetum: Ponte Presidente B. J. Habibie) is a two-lane road bridge in the suco of Bidau Santana, an inner suburb of Dili, capital city of East Timor. It is named after B. J. Habibie, the President of Indonesia who decided in 1999 to hold that year's referendum on whether East Timor would become independent of Indonesia.

In 1998, Habibie had been Vice President to Suharto, the Indonesian President who had initiated and presided over the Indonesian invasion and occupation of East Timor. Between 1978 and 1998, Habibie was a Minister in Suharto's government, and he was closely associated with Suharto from the 1950s.

Location

The bridge spans the, and connects the in the west with the Avenida Sant'Ana in the east.[1]

History

Together with its adjoining roadway, the bridge was built to supplement a smaller bridge completed in 1960, during the Portuguese colonial era.[4] [5] In 2017, the Government of East Timor awarded the contract for the construction of the new bridge, and a new park adjacent to it, to an Indonesian firm Bhakti Timor Karya (BTK), for a total price of just under US$4 million. Construction was scheduled to begin on 31 August 2017 and be completed on 31 August 2019.[6]

In July 2019, Xanana Gusmão, the former President and Prime Minister of East Timor, travelled to Jakarta, to invite B. J. Habibie to attend the inauguration of the bridge.[7] Many East Timorese people remember Habibie as the originator of the 1999 referendum that gave East Timor the opportunity to resume its independence.[7] [8] The inauguration of the bridge, which was to have been named the Referendum Bridge, was due to take place on about the 20th anniversary of the independence referendum.[9]

Habibie was unable to accept the invitation, as he was being treated at Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital. Because of this, Gusmão could therefore only pass on to him the respect and affection of the people of East Timor.[7]

After returning from Jakarta, Gusmão decided that both the bridge and the park should be named in honour of Habibie.[9] That decision generated some criticism, but Gusmão remained firm in relation to the name.[2] In early August 2019, the builders confirmed that they would complete the project on schedule.[6] On 29 August 2019, the day before the 20th anniversary, another former President of East Timor, José Ramos-Horta, officially inaugurated the bridge.[10]

Thousands of Dili residents attended the inauguration ceremony.[2] Members of government including the Minister of Public Works, Salvador Eugénio Soares dos Reis Pires, members of the National Parliament, and special members of the National Assembly, including the Dili capital community and the Bidau Santana community were also present.[11] Also in attendance was the Indonesian Minister of Public Works and Housing, Basuki Hadimuljono, who had been assigned as the Special Envoy of the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, to attend the 20th anniversary commemoration.[12]

During the inauguration ceremony, Basuki read a message from President Widodo saying that Indonesia and East Timor could continue to boost economic cooperation in border areas, such as Mota'ain,, and Wini, especially in the face of increasingly tough global competition. At the end of the ceremony, Basuki played drums to accompany Ramos-Horta and Indonesian Ambassador in singing the Indonesian song "Bengawan Solo", as a symbol of friendship and collaboration between the two countries.[3] Additionally, Ramos-Horta drove a car across the bridge, with Basuki, the East Timorese Foreign Minister, Dionísio Babo Soares, and the President of the Assembly of the Republic of Portugal, Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues, as his passengers.[13]

Basuki planned to report to Habibie about the construction of the bridge. However, Habibie died at the hospital on 11 September 2019, before Basuki could convey his message.[14] In the aftermath of Habibie's death, a video of Gusmão's July visit with Habibie in the hospital circulated on social media, and was viewed more than one million times.[15] [16] However, not every observer shared Gusmão's views on Habibie's legacy to East Timor. One Australian journalist wrote:

The "dictator" to whom the journalist was referring in this passage was Suharto, President of Indonesia from 1967 to 1998. He was the President who initiated and presided over the Indonesian invasion of East Timor in 1975, and Indonesia's consequent occupation of East Timor from 1975 until he was forced to resign in 1998.[17]

Suharto and Habibie were closely associated with each other from the early 1950s, when Suharto, then a young military officer, came to know the Habibie family well. In 1978, Suharto appointed Habibie as State Minister of Research and Technology. Habibie, who flattered Suharto by calling him "SGS" (short for Super Genius Suharto), and deferred to Suharto's family, served continuously in that position until 1998, when Suharto selected him to be his Vice President. Soon afterwards, Suharto resigned from the presidency, and Habibie replaced him. Habibie was opposed to independence for East Timor, but in 1999 decided to hold a referendum to determine the question of East Timor's independence. After the East Timorese people overwhelmingly voted for independence, Habibie allowed independence to take place.[18] [19] [20] [21]

In March 2020, heavy rain and flooding in Dili caused part of a retaining wall in the B. J. Habibie Park adjacent to the bridge to collapse.[4]

Structural specification

The bridge has a superstructure long, is wide, and has two lanes. It is part of a section of roadway long and wide between the sucos of in the west and Bidau Santana in the east; that section also includes a short bridge over the, which flows into the Bay of Dili immediately to the west of the Claran River.[1] [3]

At the western end of the roadway section, there is a sign with the words "Ponte Presidente B.J.Habibie" in red to welcome users of the bridge.[9]

Notes and References

  1. News: coilNEWS . Foto: Peresmian Jembatan BJ Habibie di Dili, Timor Leste . Photo: Inauguration of the BJ Habibie Bridge in Dili, Timor Leste . 23 January 2022 . kumparan . 29 August 2019 . id.
  2. News: Kilas . Redaksi . Jembatan dan Taman BJ Habibie di Dili Diresmikan Ramos Horta . BJ Habibie Bridge and Park in Dili Inaugurated by Ramos Horta . 23 January 2022 . Kilas Timor . 29 August 2019 . id . 23 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220123133025/https://kilastimor.com/2019/08/jembatan-dan-taman-bj-habibie-di-dili-diresmikan-ramos-horta/ . live .
  3. Web site: Office of Assistant to Deputy Cabinet Secretary for State Documents & Translation . Indonesia's Minister Attends Inauguration of B.J. Habibie Bridge in Dili . Cabinet Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia . 23 January 2022 . 31 August 2019.
  4. News: Azancot de Menezes . M. . Díli: água a mais e cidadania e governação a menos . Dili: too much water and too little citizenship and governance . 23 January 2022 . Jornal Tornado . 16 March 2020 . pt . 5 March 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220305160258/https://www.jornaltornado.pt/inundacoes-em-dili-agua-a-mais-e-cidadania-e-governacao-a-menos/ . live .
  5. Web site: Raynor . Sophie . A Postcard from Dili . Global Hobo . 26 January 2022 . 6 September 2019 . 26 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220126033037/https://globalhobo.com.au/2019/09/06/a-postcard-from-dili/ . live .
  6. News: 25 Agostu, BTK Finaliza Konstrusaun Jardín B.J. Habibie . BTK to finalise construction of B.J. Habibie Garden on 25 August . 23 January 2022 . Tatoli website . . 7 August 2019 . tet . 23 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220123134528/http://www.tatoli.tl/2019/08/07/25-agostu-btk-finaliza-konstrusaun-jardin-b-j-habibie/ . live .
  7. News: Sinaga . Yuni Arisandy . Jembatan BJ Habibie di Dili bentuk hormat rakyat Timor Leste . The BJ Habibie Bridge in Dili is a form of respect for the people of Timor Leste . 23 January 2022 . Antara News . . 13 September 2019 . id . 23 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220123133023/https://www.antaranews.com/berita/1060906/jembatan-bj-habibie-di-dili-bentuk-hormat-rakyat-timor-leste . live .
  8. News: Pattipeilohy . Flo . BJ Habibie dalam Kenangan Warga Timor Lorosa'e . BJ Habibie in Memories of the People of East Timor . 23 January 2022 . kumparan . 13 September 2019 . id . 5 March 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220305160239/https://kumparan.com/flo-pattipeilohy/bj-habibie-dalam-kenangan-warga-timor-lorosae-1rr810Goeai . live .
  9. News: ((Redaksi [Net Editor])) . Habibie, Titik Temu di Timor Lorosa'e . Habibie, Meeting Point in East Timor . 23 January 2022 . Jaring . 2 October 2019 . id . 23 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220123140120/https://jaring.id/habibie-titik-temu-di-timor-lorosae/ . live .
  10. Web site: B.J. Habibie Bridge Opening Ceremony . Government of Timor-Leste . 23 January 2022 . 29 August 2019 . 23 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220123133019/http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=22750&lang=en . live .
  11. Web site: Admin MOP . MOP Akompaña Nia Omólogu no Ramos Horta Inagura Ponte B.J. Habibie . Minister accompanies his counterpart as Ramos Horta inaugurates B.J. Habibie Bridge . . 24 January 2022 . tet . 24 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220124090338/https://mop.gov.tl/index.php/public/news/detail/mop-akompa--a-nia-om--logu-no-ramos-horta-inagura-ponte-b-j--habibie . live .
  12. News: Kencana . Maulandy Rizky Bayu . Timor Leste Resmikan Jembatan Bernama BJ Habibie . Timor Leste Inaugurates a Bridge Named BJ Habibie . 24 January 2022 . liputan6.com . 30 August 2019 . id . 24 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220124084827/https://www.liputan6.com/bisnis/read/4050477/timor-leste-resmikan-jembatan-bernama-bj-habibie . live .
  13. News: Peresmian jembatan BJ Habibie di Timor Leste . The inauguration of the BJ Habibie bridge in Timor Leste . 24 January 2022 . Antara News . Antara . 29 August 2019 . id . 24 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220124084830/https://pon.antaranews.com/foto/1036104/peresmian-jembatan-bj-habibie-di-timor-leste . live .
  14. News: Kartika . Mimi . Habibie tak Sempat Dengar Kabar Peresmian Jembatan Habibie . Habibie did not have time to hear the news of the inauguration of the Habibie Bridge . 24 January 2022 . . 12 September 2019 . id . 24 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220124094409/https://www.republika.co.id/berita/sepakbola/arena-olahraga/pxq8ns428/nasional/umum/19/09/12/pxq7ha384-habibie-tak-sempat-dengar-kabar-peresmian-jembatan-habibie . live .
  15. News: Barker . Anne . East Timor resistance fighter's 'touching' farewell to former Indonesian president . 24 January 2022 . . 12 September 2019 . 24 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220124094407/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-13/bj-habibie-indonesia-president-dies-xanana-gusmao-east-timor/11507946 . live .
  16. News: Alisjahbana . Tamalia . Indonesia in mourning: Xanana Gusmao bids a tearful farewell to B.J. Habibie … . 24 January 2022 . Independent Observer . 20 September 2019 . 24 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220124095519/https://observerid.com/indonesia-in-mourning-xanana-gusmao-bids-a-tearful-farewell-to-b-j-habibie/ . live .
  17. Web site: Benetech Human Rights Data Analysis Group . The Profile of Human Rights Violations in Timor-Leste, 1974–1999 . A Report to the Commission on Reception, Truth and Reconciliation of Timor-Leste . Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG) . 9 February 2006 . dead . https://archive.today/20120529004414/http://www.hrdag.org/resources/timor_chapter_graphs/timor_chapter_page_02.shtml . 29 May 2012.
  18. News: Pura . Raphael . Habibie to Face Scrutiny Over Some Worrisome Ties . 11 February 2022 . . 22 May 1998 . subscription . 11 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220211051536/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB895725154417911000 . live .
  19. Miller . M. . 2004 . From reform to repression: the post-New Order's shifting security policies in Aceh . Review of Indonesian and Malaysian Affairs . 38 . 4 . 129–162.
  20. Web site: McCawley . Peter . Habibie's legacy of Reformasi in Indonesia . The Interpreter . . 11 February 2022 . 17 September 2019 . 11 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220211051546/https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/habibie-s-legacy-reformasi-indonesia . live .
  21. News: Gittings . John . BJ Habibie obituary . 11 February 2022 . The Guardian . 17 September 2019 . 11 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220211051536/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/17/bj-habibie-obituary . live .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "President B. J. Habibie Bridge".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.