Beauty queens and values

It is to be hoped the beauty queen debate will end now that President Soeharto has barred participation in any form of Indonesians in such competitions abroad.

It may be true that aside from displaying their bodies, participants must also display their intellectual qualities, but the element that determines the winner is still the body, which is displayed openly.

In Indonesian culture the display of a woman's body, even partially clothed, is considered improper. Moreover, it is regarded as denigrating to women. It is therefore most proper for President Soeharto -- as quoted by Minister of Women's Affairs Mien Sugandhi -- to bar the sending of Indonesian participants to international contests of this kind.

It would also be proper, for the time being, to put an end to such contests in this country until those who are considered most competent to speak about the matter -- women's organizations, experts and the House of Representatives -- have made known their stance.

-- Suara Karya, Jakarta