Aerograms

Aerograms

Every time I write an aerogram--and that is several times a
week--I ask myself, "Why can't we buy aerograms with proper gum
that one can lick, seal and post?" When I first visited Indonesia
for a holiday in 1970 and again in 1971, I found it a bit droll
that one had to stick one's finger into a pot of paste in order
to seal a letter. When I came back permanently in 1981, the
situation was unchanged, and so it remains today, except that I
don't stick my finger into a gluepot but instead use a "glue
stick."

When will the post office, where I get my aerograms, take a
"quantum leap" into the last decade of the 20th century and
produce aerograms that one can lick, stick and post?

RB SAWREY-COOKSON

Jakarta

TV program
schedules

Now that you have gone international with your publication,
don't you think it is time to publish satellite TV program
schedules as well as (or instead of) TVRI etc.?

We watch Australian TVI, Discovery, France, occasionally CNN
and Asia Business, and the BBC whenever available courtesy
of Malaysia. Inclusion of their program schedules would make your
newspaper much more valuable to many of your readers.

E.S. WEBBER

Jayapura

Irian Jaya

Violating
regulations

From Bisnis Indonesia

It's hard to believe why many presidential decisions are not
obeyed by the regional authorities. Decision No. 79/1985 which
regulates the Puncak area, Bogor, is a notable example. The area
is supposed to be preserved for absorbing water and left as
protected forest. But in reality, the construction of villas and
other buildings there has gone on uncontrolled and forest
destruction continues unabated.

Another example is Presidential Decision No. 33/1990 which
clearly stipulates that land appropriation for development must
not affect agricultural areas. In reality, thousands of hectares
of rice fields have been converted into industrial and
resettlement areas. The same violations also occur in Bekasi,
West Java.

My question is: What should be done to make the regional
authorities function according to existing regulations?

ANDREAS RAHMANTO

Jakarta

Permit for
meetings

From Sinar Pagi

Issuing permission required to conduct activities such as
social gatherings, get togethers, or other forums is now a
relevant topic again. Some time ago Police Brig. Gen. (ret.)
Roekmini Koesoemo Astoeti failed to deliver a speech before a
meeting in Surabaya, East Java, because no permit was obtained
for that purpose. A nostalgic meeting between WS Rendra and Emha
Ainun Najib in Yogyakarta also had to be discontinued for the
same reason.

It is not surprising if the people are now wondering about the
issue. They question the legal principles involved, the kinds of
activities that do require permits, what institution has the
right to issue the permits for certain forums, etc.

Therefore, it has long been expected that a law should be
introduced concerning the issuance of permits for holding
activities which involve more than five people. In fact the
relevance of such a law is strongly felt, especially in the
context of promoting openness and democracy.

SALIM LUBIS

Jakarta