France and railroads

The reconstruction of Aceh after the devastating earthquake and tsunami on Dec. 26 can now begin. In The Jakarta Post on Jan. 19, I read in an article by Rendi A. Witular that SNCF chairman and chief executive officer Jean-Pierre Loubinoux plans to restore the railway network connecting Banda Aceh and Medan.

This information made me happy for Aceh's sake and prompted me to comment as follows: * One hundred and fifty years ago France was an investor in the European railway network. For Aceh's sake, I hope the railway will be rebuilt wisely. * Disabled people were unfortunately forgotten 150 years ago. Only after two horrible world wars did disabled people start to make the effort to use the railway network. As a disabled Swiss man, for many years I had to use the storage cabin (in winter this was freezing cold). * To me, "disabled" since birth, I could accept this on the level of personal karma. Disabled people are a "silent" movement who often are forgotten, especially in Indonesia, which has "other poverty problems". * If the French firms build a proper railway in Aceh, I could even live in Aceh one day. I wouldn't have a problem with sharia since I have already converted to Islam.

CHRISTOPH EGGLI, Kuta, Bali