'Batik' dress

'Batik' dress

It is wonderful to see the outlook of the Indonesian
government in holding an international batik conference for the
first time in Yogyakarta next week. I don't think all the
participants of the conference will only sit, talk, relax, enjoy
the good time at the batik exhibitions and go home.

I hope the participants and organizers of the conference can
give an award to Nelson Mandela, an international figure who
wears batik. Since he was installed as the first President of
South Africa in the post-apartheid era, he has been wearing batik
on every special international occasion abroad. I am afraid that
some day batik will become the black South African national
dress.

IWAN SATYANEGARA

Jakarta