Letter: Corruption, poverty and family planning

Wed, 07/02/2008 10:52 AM | Reader's Forum

Rizal Sukma's article in The Jakarta Post on June 17, page 3, boils down to the fact that the long road to combat corruption is quite bumpy and paved with extreme difficulties.

However, I have to correct Rizal Sukma by contradicting his statement that Indonesia takes pride in being one of the most religious societies in the world. In this country, religion is being used to oppress groups and faiths.

Although the KPK is working overtime, corruption needs to be combated more harshly by cleaning up the AGO and by imprisoning the guilty parties for life.

Malnutrition in Indonesia is certainly something that shames many but this problem should be addressed by the minister of health. With due respect to her efforts to combat bird flu, family planning in Indonesia has been put on the back burner yet remains one of the most important issues that this country should immediately tackle.

The poor have no access to birth control methods as these are costly, and since the poor represent over 20 percent of the population, they are accountable for millions of unwanted new births every day. Poverty is therefore getting out of hand.

These unfortunates need to be fed daily and are draining the country's coffers. This fact is overlooked by our government but it remains a serious problem which should be addressed immediately, starting with superactive measures to re-implement birth control policies.

The population explosion is getting out of hand in our country and soon there will be 300 million to be fed. Last but not least, I totally support Rizal Sukma's statement that by eradicating corruption some of Indonesia's problems will indeed be solved.

LYNNA VAN DER ZEE-OEHMKE
Bogor, West Java

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