Family planning

I was amazed to read the headline in The Jakarta Post, on July 8, 1994 that Vatican accuses West of biological colonialism. In terms of the development tendency of new biology, I totally agree with it.

The anxiety raised by the church or any religious leaders regarding the modern method of family planning is reasonable. To curb the population explosion, contraception alone is not enough. As a matter of fact, the lack of other reproductive health care systems, unacceptable side-effects on women's bodies and rude staff at clinics should all be taken into account.

The phenomenon is made worse by the fact that, (as written in the text) "At times these family planning methods have been imposed through `blackmail' in allotting economic and financial aid to the developing countries."

Do babies pollute our world? Every sane human being should agree with the phrase "the gift of life is the God's greatest gift."

Anyhow, when talking about world population we tend to refer to population problems in the developing countries. It seems the developing countries which are situated mainly in the Southern Hemisphere are the source of the world's population problem. Therefore, the West has taken the role of "messiah" in offering their technologies to the addicts of technology.

However, the term population explosion is merely a mask which is designed to encourage the use of contraceptives in particular countries in Asia and Africa. I assume, it is the multinational pharmaceutical companies that will gain the profits from trading contraceptive devices around the world.

In accordance to the UN International Conference on Population and Development, which will be held in Cairo in September, the population problem should be evaluated from a clear and plain perspective.

WAHYUNI RIZKIANA KAMAH

Jakarta