A democratic system does not ban books. What message will we send to the world and to our own people? The family of Adam Malik (former VP) can sue Weiner, but the government should not ban his book or any books based on a fear that the family will do just that.

If the government needs something to do, why not chase the patented Indonesian folk songs by the Malaysians? SLEDET

Jakarta

Excellent. The author will be pleased. Nothing is better to boost sales than by banning something. I hardly think that the CIA's and MI6's engineering of the Soeharto coup and their accompanying death lists are something to pretend didn't happen any more.

If someone thinks they have been libeled by a book, they should sue its publishers in court. Surely this is nothing to worry about now though: the few people who survived those dark times have their hands clean.

If anyone wants to hush up what the CIA did then would surely be the CIA themselves, wouldn't it?

Why do their work for them and be more enthusiastic they are? Don't be silly. RAFIQ MAHMOOD

Bogor, West Java

Note the name of the book. The History of the CIA. It is a global topic, not a book on Indonesia. The book is already published and selling like fresh cooked sate. Yes, there is a mention of Adam Malik.

But the book contains other more serious aspects of Indonesian history that has been kept from Indonesians for decades. Indonesians are entitled to find out this information for themselves. The rest of the world already knows.

Please don't ban a comprehensive history of the CIA just because there is a short section on Indonesia you don't agree with. And as for summoning the writer, he is probably too busy doing book signing and media interviews. NAIRDAH

Jakarta

Why should this be banned? What happened to reformation and democracy? What are they afraid of. It's hardly a secret outside RI that the Soeharto administration had CIA links. I'm sure the writer will be amused to know he might be "summoned". ALAN

Jakarta

MUI and anti-smoking laws -- Nov. 25, p. 1

Tobacco is really bad for our health because it contains nicotine which is a colorless, poisonous alkaloid (C10H14N2) used as an insecticide. It is the substance in tobacco which smokers can become addicted to.

Why not ban this tobacco industry altogether since it has poisonous ingredients in it. There is strong support under the Ulema's edict for banning Moslems from smoking.

In this poor country, we have many workers who only earn less than $1.00 a day and spend their entire wage on puffing cigarettes while leaving their infant children without milk and food.

No more cigarettes for students, workers, pregnant ladies, Muslims, government officials, minors and all citizens.

It's best to proclaim it as a dangerous drug and prohibit sales of tobacco and its distribution altogether. IYEN

Jakarta

Indonesia should be carefully watch this tendency. The more they give a free hand to the Ulema council's rulings, the more they lose their sovereignty.

We are far away from Pancasila and the unity of Indonesia. ANDREAS

Manado, North Sulawesi

I am not a big fan of the MUI, but I think this is a good move. In Indonesia, most smokers are extremely intolerant. They just smoke everywhere. ALAIN

Jakarta

The grip of the influential and strong tobacco industry in the government may at last be broken. This laudable initiative by the Ulema Council to push anti-smoking legislation is in fact governance by the people for the people, as good governance ought to be.

Congratulations MUI! HENRY MANOE

Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara

Death is the sole profit from tobacco. The farmers can grow rice and other produce the wasted/burned money can help families improve living standards.

The same spending will go toward more needed items. JOHN WILFRED

Jakarta

Great news if it becomes a reality. Maybe at last there will be recognition that the most destructive drug of addiction at work in Indonesian society is tobacco.

Hopefully there will be enough politicians that are sufficiently informed and responsible that they will see the urgency and importance of confronting 400,000+ tobacco related deaths each year. The widows and children that suffer has to be far more important than the advertising income.

As for sports sponsorship, other countries have long ago proven they could make the transition from tobacco company sponsorship to other sponsors. NAIRDAH

Jakarta

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