City to clear away political banners<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso reiterated an order to
\nofficials on Tuesday to take down all unlicensed political
\nbanners erected throughout the city over the past few weeks.<\/p>\n
Besides detracting from the capital's beauty, the cloth
\nbanners -- hanging on pedestrian bridges, trees, buildings and
\nlampposts -- had been put up in places in complete disregard of
\ncity regulations, he said.<\/p>\n
\"People cannot display banners wherever they like because they
\nhave to meet the existing regulations, such as paying levies,\"
\nthe governor said.<\/p>\n
The banner cleanup campaign had reportedly started several
\ndays ago, according to the governor.<\/p>\n
He said a number of banners, many of which blame the banned
\nIndonesian Communist Party (PKI) for recent or upcoming unrest,
\nwere still in place in several spots of the capital.<\/p>\n
Some read \"PKI cadres: The mastermind of looting and rioting\"
\nand \"Be careful of PKI's involvement in the reform movement\". Few
\nof the anti-PKI messages gave an indication as to who was
\nresponsible for the banner.<\/p>\n
One slogan, seemingly erected by the Indonesian Council for
\nIslamic Propagation (DDI), read \"The state is under a threat:
\nPKI's third rebellion ... September 1998\".<\/p>\n
PKI was banned in Indonesia following a failed coup attempt on
\nSept. 30, 1965.<\/p>\n
A large number of banners could still be seen on some of the
\ncity's main thoroughfares, including Jl. Diponegoro, Jl. Veteran,
\nJl. Pos, Jl. Menteng Raya in Central Jakarta and Jl. Sultan Agung
\nin South Jakarta and Jl. Suprapto and Jl. Matraman Raya, East
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
The governor claimed that the banners' removal had nothing to
\ndo with the city's efforts to prevent renewed unrest.<\/p>\n
\"I just see it as a way to beautify the city,\" Sutiyoso said.<\/p>\n
\"If we take no action, the city would become a war zone with
\nbanners competing for space to disseminate different political
\nmessages. Could you imagine that?\" he asked reporters.<\/p>\n
\"We're not looking for the people behind the banners. We just
\nwant to keep the city clean,\" Sutiyoso insisted.<\/p>\n
A similar campaign to remove banners occurred in June when
\nbanners calling for the investigation of former president
\nSoeharto's wealth appeared on the city's streets following the
\nformer president's resignation on May 21. (ind)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/city-to-clear-away-political-banners-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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