Forum: Limit number of new players

Mon, 06/30/2008 10:49 AM  |  Reader's Forum

Of course they do! The last thing they want is for more competition, because then they might actually be required to offer their customers a decent level of service.

I subscribe to a wireless Internet service provider. I am restricted to only one service because of my location in rural Bali. The service is so incredibly inconsistent as to be laughable, if I weren't cursing it so much.

Granted, at times (very, very rare) I do get decent download speeds, but most of the time it's slower than the slowest dial-up speed.

And then there are the times (frequent) when there is no service at all! When I call my provider, I am put on hold.

When I e-mail them about the service, I am of course never answered. Why should they bother responding to me? I am nothing but a paying customer.

So the government should definitely limit competition. Heaven forbid the telecom industry should have to actually provide the services they charge us for.
JIM TAYLOR
Ubud, Bali

Citizenship and its rights -- June 24, 6

Good article on freedom in your country. Here is how I perceived this as a foreigner. I was in your country the same time last year and noticed that the police are still very corrupt.

Indonesia (as stated) has a major corruption problem. If this is fixed at a local level then it will be better off for everyone. No foreign companies want to invest in a country with corruption.

The rights of the individual there is quite another story. When I was in Surabaya, the rights of people seemed to be quite well respected, that is for the rich.

The poor people I met did not get the same rights. They were treated terribly in the street and by people I was with. It shocked me.

The press, what can you say when corruption is rife in the community, free press is something that is still a dream there.

If you want real free press, you need to have a government-funded radio and television broadcaster, free of government intervention and influence.

We have such a broadcaster here, ABC radio and TV. Check it out.

This is just a view from a visitor and foreigner who has been in your country.
ROD
Sydney

Student protests turn violent -- June 25, p. 1

I'm really confused about what were they thinking when they burned the car. They are privileged university students, yet act like two-bit thugs.

Protests against the rising price of fuel are everywhere. Let's face it, Indonesia isn't the only country affected by it. If we've been spoiled rotten by years of subsidy, then forget about national awakening. It's just not going to happen, so deal with it.

The protesters should have thought before they burned the car, because such an incident can only trigger other people to join the fray, and in the end, it causes rioting. Let's pray to God to save this nation. Violence should be forged into passion.
HENDRY SANTOSO
Jakarta

Puncak's tree-planting campaigner -- June 24, p. 24

We were pleased to learn about Ade Basir Baesuni's tree-planting efforts in Theresia Sufa's article in The Jakarta Post.

We would like to invite Ade Basir to join the UNEP-led Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign.

The campaign was launched in cooperation with the World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in November 2006, and was placed under the patronage of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Wangari Maathai and His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco.

To join the campaign, participants can make pledges and register planted trees online via the Campaign's dedicated website, www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign.

A certificate is offered to organizations/individuals once they have planted their trees.

We also publish news and photos from participants to the photo gallery and news from the campaign sections of our website.

We would be grateful if you could pass this message on to Ade or provide us with his contact details so we may directly invite him.

Should you have any questions or need any clarification, do not hesitate to contact us.
LEAH WANAMBWA
Nairobi, Kenya

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