On abortion (2)

I was deeply shocked and distressed after reading Ms. Rita Soemarno's letter captioned 'Yes' to abortion in The Jakarta Post of Oct. 11, 1995.

The most basic of human rights is the right to live. When a society allows its children to be killed by their own mothers -- the very persons that are supposed to give them life, protection and love -- then all human rights become nothing but a joke. Accepting that babies "should be left unborn" if "there are no guarantees about his or her future", to use Ms. Soemarno's words, leads to a terrifying culture of death.

Human beings have a remarkable capacity to overcome difficulties and handicaps, that is why it sounds so unfair and terribly patronizing to establish two categories of unborn children: those who have a "guaranteed future" and therefore have the right to live, and the others who deserve to be put to death.

M. LAURA VARELA

Jakarta