Conserving and commercializing Jakarta's graves<\/p>\n
Nirwono Joga, Jakarta<\/p>\n
At least one booth at the Jakarta Fair 2004 offers various
\ntypes of cemetery plots for resting places at prices from Rp 7.4
\nmillion (US$780) to Rp 640.5 million, ranging in size from 10
\nsquare meters to 864 square meters.<\/p>\n
Former Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin (1966-1977) has emphasized
\nthat graves must never be commercialized because they constitute
\na main component in the cycle of city life, which guarantees
\ncitizens' rights in life and death.<\/p>\n
Jakarta is indeed facing a crisis of burial land. With a total
\narea of 575.19 hectares in 2003, the city's public cemeteries
\n(TPU) could only accommodate 20 percent of the graves needed. The
\nmortality rate in Jakarta increased from 80 people daily in 1997
\nto 100 in 2003 and keeps rising with the higher rates of suicide
\nand crime.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta administration's cemetery office has calculated
\nthat the demand for burial ground space in 2005 will be 785
\nhectares. Meanwhile, based on the Jakarta spatial layout plan for
\n2000-2010, the target set for cemeteries is only put at 745.18
\nhectares (2010).<\/p>\n
The reclamation of land for private burial places in Karawang
\nregency, West Java, some 60 kilometers from Jakarta, covers 200
\nhectares, of which only 60 percent (120 hectares) serve as
\ngraves, equivalent to 20.87 percent of the area of Jakarta's
\npublic cemeteries.<\/p>\n
Unless the burial grounds are properly managed, disputes may
\nlater arise over cemetery land between Jakarta and neighboring
\ntowns -- Bogor, Tangerang, Bekasi, Karawang and Depok -- much
\nlike the case of the Bantar Gebang garbage dump.<\/p>\n
The neighboring towns certainly will prioritize the building
\nof cemeteries for their own citizens rather than for Jakartans.
\nDevelopers of satellite towns on Jakarta's outskirts should
\ntherefore also make available their own burial places based on
\nmortality predictions.<\/p>\n
The time has come for cemetery personnel to terminate their
\npursuit of fees (including illegal ones) and the sale of graves
\nthat are already occupied. They should be seen as an asset, with
\npotential for long-term investment, an urban tourist destination,
\na place for cremation services, areas that honor historic resting
\nplaces of eminent people and a spiritual space. They can also be
\nused as a city conservation park with ecological and esthetic
\nvalue.<\/p>\n
Turning public cemeteries into tourist destinations is still
\nbeyond the consideration of the Jakarta administration. In fact,
\nsuch major world cities as Sydney, Melbourne, London, Paris,
\nWashington DC and Singapore have successfully converted
\ncemeteries into one of their tourist spots and foreign exchange
\nearners.<\/p>\n
Cemetery conditions in Jakarta are muddled up and overcrowded,
\ncreating a spooky and eerie impression. TPU workers, cleaners,
\nflower sellers, burial officers and even beggars often harass
\nvisitors and mourners, thus depriving them of the tranquility to
\nrelax for mourning and\/or reflection.<\/p>\n
Jakarta's cemeteries actually have the great potential to
\nbecome a city tourism booster. There are the graves of the hero
\nMH Thamrin and one of Sukarno's wives, Fatmawati at the TPU-Karet
\nBivak, the first vice president Bung Hatta at TPU-Tanah Kusir,
\nBritish soldiers at TPU-Menteng Pulo, Dutch graves at TPU-
\nPetamburan and the resting places of Maj. Gen. JHR Kohler (Aceh
\nWar), wife of British Governor General Raffles and student
\nactivist Soe Hok Gie at ex-TPU-Kebon Jahe (now a museum of
\narcheology).<\/p>\n
It is not convenient or easy to deal with loved ones who have
\ndied in Jakarta. Some people even \"warn\" against dying in this
\ncity to avoid the mess and trouble of handling funeral
\nprocedures. Still there is no guarantee that the existing graves
\nwill not be demolished. Without a certificate one can never
\nexpect to get a place at a Jakarta TPU.<\/p>\n
So, how does one bury a friend or relative here?<\/p>\n
The relatives should first report it to RT and RW
\n(neighborhood administration) before going to the local health
\ncenter (for corpse examination) and the subdistrict office for
\nthe physician's death certificate. With the family card and
\nidentity card of the deceased, the relatives select a burial plot
\nat the nearest TPU. Then there is the administration fees and
\nother payments (negotiated) to obtain a three-year cemetery land
\nuse permit (IPTM). This license should be extended every three
\nyears, or else demolition is imminent.<\/p>\n
Most Jakartans do not want to be bothered by the funeral
\nbureaucracy and choose to register the dead with funeral
\nfoundations, which offer complete service packages at varying
\nrates. They provide services that cover everything that is need
\nin the process.<\/p>\n
The decision to cremate depends on many factors from cultural
\ntraditions to cost. It is already familiar to the Hindus in Bali
\nor citizens of Chinese descent. The limited land for cemeteries
\nand growing demand for cremation have prompted major cities to
\nbuild eco-friendly crematories, which are efficient, economical,
\nhygienic and conservation oriented.<\/p>\n
A manual for cemetery restructuring should be compiled by
\ninvolving professionals, academicians, religious leaders,
\ncommunity figures and those concerned about cemetery affairs.
\nThis guide should contain an efficient land-prudent funeral
\nsystem, innovative burial techniques, computerized cemetery
\nmanagement as well as transparent and accountable funding.<\/p>\n
The grid pattern of land plots for graves will facilitate
\nburial, maintenance and cemetery data gathering. The computerized
\nsystem will expedite funeral procedural operations, make grave
\nrepair easier, ensure more accurate documentation and allow the
\npublic easier access to data on identities of the deceased.<\/p>\n
The writer is chairman of the Indonesian Landscape
\nArchitecture Study Group, Jakarta.<\/p>",
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