Destruction of trees
Bogor -- which was once called Buitenzorg (place without care) in the very distant past because of its cool climate, beautiful surroundings, lush vegetation and quiet -- has now become a very noisy, hot, polluted concrete jungle in which numerous and almost continuous traffic jams contribute to making life even more miserable for its citizens.
In addition, there is ample evidence that the bureaucrats responsible for the city's management are too busy lining their own pockets to care.
In its Dec. 4, 1996 edition, the daily Suara Pembaruan featured an article under the heading Dozens of trees belonging to the collection of Bogor's Botanical Gardens about to be cut down for a parking area.
To my knowledge, The Jakarta Post has, as yet, made no mention of this appalling destruction of ancient and historically valuable trees which is about to take place very soon.
According to Suara Pembaruan's report, one of the trees to be felled is the priceless pterocarpus indicus wild tree planted by Prof. J.E. Teijsmann, the director of the Bogor Botanical Gardens from 1831 to 1867.
In addition, the article also mentioned the alarming decline of the world-renowned garden, from an erstwhile richly stocked and impeccably maintained research center, to a disgracefully neglected, garbage-infested place of recreation, in which many scientifically valuable trees have died because they were not provided with the proper care.
As might have been expected, the gardens' current director, Dr. Suhirman, had gone to Bali, and was therefore "unavailable for comment".
What will become of the Bogor Botanical Gardens, without its world-famous collection of trees and plants?
And what will become of Bogor itself, when asinine bureaucratic decisions based on shortsightedness and greed drastically reduce and ultimately destroy the gardens, which serve as Bogor's lungs and is also the city's pride and joy?
Truly, we Indonesians should be ashamed of ourselves for allowing such wanton destruction to occur.
TAMI KOESTOMO
Bogor, West Java