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