Embassies pressed to remove barriers<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
The city administration has reiterated its calls for the American
\nand Australian embassies to remove protective barriers erected
\noutside their premises that are blocking traffic in South and
\nCentral Jakarta.<\/p>\n
City secretary Ritola Tasmaya said that there was no reason
\nwhy the barriers had to stay on Jl. Rasuna Said and Jl. Medan
\nMerdeka Selatan. Jakarta Police had advised the embassies that
\nclearing the barriers would not affect security there.<\/p>\n
\"There is no need to exaggerate (the danger). Besides causing
\nsevere traffic jams, the presence of the roadblocks and barbed
\nwire in the middle of the streets tarnishes the image of the city
\nas it suggests that we are in a permanent state of emergency,\"
\nRitola said at City Hall.<\/p>\n
Jakartans already suffered enough problems commuting in the
\ncity and these extra barriers would only make people resent the
\npresence of the embassies, he said.<\/p>\n
Ritola said that the two embassies had earlier promised to
\nremove the blocks within specific time frames, something that
\nembassy officials are disputing.<\/p>\n
\"The U.S. Embassy had promised three weeks ago to remove the
\nbarrier within a week and now they are two weeks overdue,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The Australian Embassy, meanwhile, had promised remove the
\nbarriers after it finalized the construction of a bomb-proof wall
\nin May, Ritola said.<\/p>\n
However, both embassies denied they had made such promises.<\/p>\n
\"We have only ever been able to give an estimate when the road
\nwould be ready to be opened. This has always depended on an
\nestimate of when the substantial construction and repair work of
\nthe embassy would be finished ... In our discussions and ongoing
\nconsultations with the Jakarta government, we have advised them
\nthat we expect that the road will open in the next couple of
\nmonths,\" Australian Embassy spokeswoman Elizabeth O'Neill told
\nThe Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
O'Neill said the embassy would not open the lane until it
\ncould guarantee the right level of security for all Indonesian
\nand Australian staff working there despite the police's high
\nstandard of protection.<\/p>\n
U.S. Embassy spokesman Max Kwak also denied the embassy had
\nmade any time-specific promises to the administration.<\/p>\n
\"We have told the government that we were looking forward to
\nmoving the barrier and reopening the lane to traffic at the
\nearliest opportunity after we and the government have made
\nsuitable arrangements for security at the embassy,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The city administration has sent a letter to the Ministry of
\nForeign Affairs to help press for the removal of the roadblocks
\nat the embassies.<\/p>\n
Spokesman Yuri Oktavia Thamrin confirmed the ministry had
\nreceived the letter and was following it up.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/embassies-pressed-to-remove-barriers-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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