'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