Great escape

"Going ... going ... gone? No, this letter is not about the wonderful piece of ad, recently published in The Jakarta Post, in dedication to the "Universal Children's Day" -- the picture was, of course, deeply touching and worth a thousand words.

The caption of the aforesaid ad very well applies to the disappearance of the fugitive, Tommy Soeharto. Some time ago, his name was on the front page of the Post, later relegated to small columns in the inside page and now, it is totally gone. Isn't it based on the well-known belief that public memory is usually short?

Foreigners would be shocked about this phenomenon. For some Indonesians and long-time expatriates here, it might be a surprise, not a "shock" anyway. But, for most people, they know "it is business as usual".

After everyone forgets about Tommy, he may resurface heading a five-star hotel or a resort, somewhere in the Amazon. The news may, of course, emanate "conveniently" after a decade or so and by then, the whole thing will be irrelevant.

Is it a comedy or a tragedy? God only knows! One thing is for sure -- it's simply a pathetic state of affairs.

In this pious month, we hope that good sense will prevail all around.

D. CHANDRAMOULI

Jakarta