Jakarta quiet as Asian-African summit opens<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Jakarta experienced one of its quietest days this year as the
\nAsia-Africa Summit opened on Friday while authorities continued
\nto impose stringent security measures around the summit venue,
\nand several other areas across Greater Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Several of Jakarta's main streets notorious for traffic jams,
\nincluding Jl. Thamrin, Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Gatot Subroto, all in
\nCentral Jakarta, were passed by only a few motorists on Friday
\nafternoon.<\/p>\n
Busier traffic conditions were found in several outer roads
\nthat lead to other cities in West Java, where many Jakartans like
\nto spend their weekends.<\/p>\n
The city administration's decision to give students a holiday
\non Thursday and Saturday, as well as a long weekend for Prophet
\nMuhammad's birthday on Friday may be one of the reasons why the
\ncapital was so unusually quiet. The long holiday was also used by
\nmany residents to go out of town.<\/p>\n
Jakartans welcomed the light traffic as a relief from the
\ndaily gridlock in this city of 12 million people.<\/p>\n
\"We are going to a mall in Central Jakarta, and we are
\nenjoying the view from the car. Jakarta is very beautiful when it
\nslows down like this,\" Hartono, a resident of Pasar Minggu in
\nSouth Jakarta, who took her family shopping, told The Jakarta
\nPost.<\/p>\n
Taxi drivers complained that they had difficulty reaching
\ntheir target income to pay their rental fee as there were few
\npassengers.<\/p>\n
Taxi drivers, who were waiting for passengers in Semanggi
\nPlaza, South Jakarta, said they hadn't had any passengers since
\nthe morning.<\/p>\n
\"I have gone around the city, but have not found any
\npassengers. Now, I have to think about how I will pay my rental
\nfee. I don't think I can bring money home for my family this
\nevening,\" Yono, one of the drivers, said.<\/p>\n
While the streets were quiet, many police and TNI personnel,
\ntouting firearms, were seen guarding the Jakarta Convention
\nCenter (JCC), the venue of the conference, and Hilton and Mulia
\nHotels, where most delegates are staying.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said that as of
\nFriday afternoon, police had not found any evidence of any
\nserious threats.<\/p>\n
\"We have conducted raids on several areas across the city as
\nwell as checking motorists and passengers intending to enter the
\ncapital. So far we have not found evidence of any threat,\"
\nTjiptono told Post.<\/p>\n
A total of 24,701 personnel from the police, TNI, and the city
\nadministration have been deployed to secure the summit while
\n1.400 of them have been placed to monitor routes used by the
\ndelegates.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, many people who came from Bekasi, Tangerang and
\nDepok, said they were disappointed as they couldn't meet with
\nLibyan leader Moammar Qaddafi during Friday prayers at Istiqlal
\nMosque in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"I came here because I want to hear a sermon from Qaddafi. I
\nam very disappointed because I have long admired him,\" Santo, a
\nresident of Bekasi, was quoted by Detikcom as saying.<\/p>\n
Officials at the mosque announced before the prayers that
\nQaddafi was not coming and Atho Mudzhar from the Ministry of
\nReligious Affairs would take his place.<\/p>\n
Atho said in his sermon that the Asia-Africa Summit was one of
\nthree important occasions for Muslims within a week besides the
\nIndonesian Muslim Congress and Prophet Muhammad's birthday.<\/p>\n
All of them carried the same message of human rights, helping
\nthe poor and creating a peaceful world, he said.<\/p>",
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