Completely broken relationship

This year's commemoration of our Independence Day has again failed to bring together former Indonesian presidents still alive at the State Palace. This means that Indonesians are suffering from a cultural crisis, manifested, among other things, in completely broken relationships.

The relationship between one former president and his successor has always been based on insincerity. Understandably this pattern will be a model for other ethnic groups in conflict, such as in Sampit, Ambon, Jakarta and elsewhere. Student brawls and clashes involving villages or government administrators are difficult to break up. They take turns in happening and have a feeling of revenge as their origin.

By comparison, in one of our neighboring countries, the Philippines, its president is always ready to visit her predecessor in prison. In Indonesia, which is based on Pancasila and upholding humanity, a visit like this has yet to happen.

In fact, when a former president is physically unable to make it to the State Palace, he may be carried or escorted there. However, as their relationship is completely broken and other high-ranking officials in this country cannot act as mediators, Indonesians can easily watch how their leaders cannot maintain relationships devoid of love.

Will this condition remain in the future? Serious efforts must be made to change this bad habit.

SUKANTO

Jakarta

;POS KOTA;LEI; ANPAk..r.. Letter-violence Stop Violence on TV JP/4/let

Stop violence on TV

From Pos Kota

Private television stations have been airing crime reports along with accompanying pictures and stories about robbery and traffic accidents. This seems to be an interesting program as there is a competition among several television stations in this respect.

But consider how this competition may backfire on the television channel in question. One day I watched a report on a fatal traffic accident in which a motorcycle rider's head was injured so badly that his brains were clearly visible and were shown twice on camera.

Perhaps this disturbing scene had not been cut out of neglect. I would like to appeal to private television stations to be more careful about airing scenes from accidents and crime otherwise they will give a bad image to the television station concerned.

Please get involved in tough competition, but don't forget censorship.

SANDY

Jakarta