Liquidation of banks

The ongoing tragedy in our republic is exhibiting another tawdry episode called "cleaning up the bank mess".

What is the core of our problem? The refusal and inability to analyze the whole issue from origin, diagnosis to solution.

This escapism is a national mental disease; it has become a quasi-national standard of behavior to avoid an in-depth approach at all cost.

In the case of the banking crisis, questions and components of the in-depth approach are:

1. Who issued the banking licenses?

2. Was a complete set of criteria used -- as occurs in Switzerland, England or America -- for granting a license?

3. Were the institutions and persons in charge able to evaluate the applications and the issuances?

4. Were the rules and regulations concerning the bank's operation complete and legally determined, just as in Switzerland, England or America?

5. Did the monitoring and control watchdog institution and persons function as per regulations and laws?

6. What was the track record of the institution to step in on time etc. as per regulations and laws?

7. A list of criminality breaches.

8. A list of parties which failed to act.

9. A list of criminal parties, directors, commissaries and owners.

It would appear to be OK and normal for the government to maintain the status quo and avoid all the above. It perhaps even uses the crisis and solution-seeking measures to continue with further collusive and dubious steps.

But we, the new emerging reform forces, have to function and carry out the above mentioned nine steps and bring them into the open.

Immediate success is not guaranteed, but the broad educational methodology is there; that is to approach the affair decisively, directly, thoroughly and transparently.

We then take a step in healing the disease implanted by the Soeharto regime of seeing nothing, hearing nothing and saying nothing. I would add to those infamous three monkeys, an update -- thinking nothing.

Y. SANTO

Jakarta