Monas: Space wanted<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta
\nPost, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The National Monument, which sits in the middle of the capital
\nand is known almost universally as Monas, serves numerous
\nfunctions for residents and visitors of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
For street vendors, its grounds offer the opportunity to make
\na living, as Monas remains one of the city's best-known landmarks
\nand a popular tourist destination, attracting an average of
\n800,000 visitors a year.<\/p>\n
And then there are those who, once night falls, use the park
\nfor other activities.<\/p>\n
\"I often find condoms when I clean the park in the morning,
\nespecially after Friday or Saturday night,\" said one Monas
\nsanitation worker.<\/p>\n
Much of the park is dirty and unpleasant. Many of the over
\n10,000 trees are diseased. The pond in the middle of the park is
\npolluted, though this doesn't stop homeless people from using it
\nto bathe and wash their clothes.<\/p>\n
The deputy head of the City Park Agency, A. Susanto, said that
\nevery Monday his workers collected up to three and a half truck-
\nloads of garbage at Monas, compared to one and half on other
\ndays.<\/p>\n
He also said the city administration spent Rp 5 billion each
\nyear to maintain the monument.<\/p>\n
On Sunday mornings, the park is transformed into a huge market
\nfor inexpensive goods.<\/p>\n
\"This place is all right for family recreation,\" said Eben
\nManik, 37, who works for a private company.<\/p>\n
But Eben, who has been visiting the park since he was a boy,
\nadded: \"It is not as nice as it used to be.\"<\/p>\n
In 1954, the government began work on the monument, which was
\nto stand in the center of 100 hectares of land. The purpose of
\nMonas was to commemorate the country's independence, as well as
\nto develop a tourist attraction for the world community.<\/p>\n
Fifteen years later, the city administration began to develop
\n82 hectares as a green belt, namely Medan Merdeka park.<\/p>\n
The administration specifically proposed the park serve as a
\n\"civil center\" that would enhance the image of the monument as
\nthe symbol of the city.<\/p>\n
But the city administration has allowed parties to develop
\nbuildings in the park. During the economic crisis in 1998,
\nGovernor Sutiyoso approved the building of cafes \"to help the
\nneedy\".<\/p>\n
And now a building has popped up in the park for the one-week
\nRegional Autonomy exhibition, which ends on Sunday.<\/p>\n
In response to criticism of the \"misuse\" of the park, Sutiyoso
\ncalmly said he approved the building because it was temporary.<\/p>\n
It is certainly true that there have been many projects
\nundertaken with the stated intention of improving Monas park. The
\nproblem is that these projects often overlap. One might start
\nbefore the previous one is completed or, even worse, a project
\nthat has just been completed might be demolished and replaced by
\na new project.<\/p>\n
Currently there are at least 15 institutions managing the
\npark, each with its own responsibilities.<\/p>\n
The National Monument management office, for example, is
\nresponsible for the monument itself, while the Central Jakarta
\nmayoralty, the Public Order Office and the Civilian Guards
\nRegional Headquarters are responsible for maintaining order.<\/p>\n
And there appears to be no coordination among them.<\/p>\n
According to Gubernatorial Decree No. 51\/2000, the City Park
\nAgency is in charge of technical plans and the development of the
\npark. However, Susanto said managing the park's development
\nrequired coordination with other institutions, including the City
\nPublic Works Agency and the City Public Lightning Agency.<\/p>\n
This agency confusion makes it evident that clearer
\nregulations on the management of Monas are needed.<\/p>\n
Also necessary is a compromise between the city administration
\nand the vendors who work in the park, according to city landscape
\narchitect Budi Sukada.<\/p>\n
\"The city administration could provide the vendors a location
\nin the area, lay down strict rules on sanitation and cite them
\nfor any violations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Budi also said that Monas should not be used like parks in
\nEurope, but must rather accommodate Indonesian culture.<\/p>\n
\"It is not a part of our culture to have a picnic and stroll
\nin the park like Europeans, therefore why not accommodate the
\nconcept of alun-alun, which we are more familiar with,\" he said,
\nreferring to the main squares commonly found in towns in Java
\nwhere people gather and vendors sell their goods.<\/p>\n
\"This is more realistic than trying to instill a concept we
\nare not accustomed to,\" Budi said.<\/p>",
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