Plant sellers

I would like to refer to your article titled Plant sellers protest expulsion plan, Oct. 28, 1994, on page three. The article is quite biased and only gives the point of view of the 85 plant sellers.

May I express my opinion about the proposed storm water drains (gutters) along Jl. T.B. Simatupang, South Jakarta.

Last year's rainy season gave us heavy floods along Jl. T.B. Simatupang, especially in the areas which are abutted by the plant sellers. Getting stuck for hours in traffic jams caused by the floods was no fun for the road users and certainly hurts the Indonesian economy by unnecessarily burning fuel.

During those trying times I always cursed the contractor of the toll road for bad planning, without knowing that the cause for the distress of thousands of motorists and bus passengers were 85 plant sellers. (My apologies to the contractor).

By aiming for more democracy, The Jakarta Post should have researched the opinion of the silent but enduring majority of the affected people instead of just publishing the loudly voiced protest of a minority.

F. TRAMPEL

Jakarta