Students told to stay at home during summit<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In a bid to help ease traffic congestion in the city during the
\nAsian-African Summit from April 22 to April 24, Jakarta Governor
\nSutiyoso told schools in the city on Thursday to give Friday
\n(April 22) and Saturday off for students.<\/p>\n
\"I advise teachers to give homework to their students so that
\nthey stay at home during the holidays and thereby help ease
\ntraffic on the roads across the capital,\" Sutiyoso said at City
\nHall.<\/p>\n
Government and private offices as well as schools will have a
\nnational holiday on April 22 in observance of the birth of
\nProphet Muhammad.<\/p>\n
\"Many participants will come here and we need to ensure that
\nthey are not obstructed by any traffic congestion,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Jakarta, which is notorious for its traffic jams, will host
\nthe Asian-African Summit on April 22 and April 23, which will be
\nattended by 56 heads of state.<\/p>\n
Delegates from 105 countries are expected to attend the
\nsummit.<\/p>\n
The summit will move to Bandung on April 24.<\/p>\n
At least 24,701 personnel from the Jakarta Police, military
\nand city administration will be deployed to safeguard vital
\ninstallations and public areas in the city ahead of and during
\nthe summit.<\/p>\n
The personnel comprise 10,854 police, 6,388 Army, 1,449 Air
\nForce, 610 Navy and 5,400 city public order officers.<\/p>\n
All participants will be heavily guarded by security personnel
\nfrom their arrival at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
\nand at the Halim Perdanakusumah Airport in East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Police have declared Jakarta on top alert status from April 15
\nuntil the end of the summit.<\/p>\n
Heavy security measures will be applied, especially at the
\nJakarta Convention Center, where the conference is scheduled to
\ntake place, as well as at Hilton Hotel and Mulia Hotel where most
\nparticipants will stay.<\/p>\n
Bomb attacks remain the city's top security concern since
\nMalaysian fugitives Dr. Azahari and Noordin M. Top, believed to
\nbe masterminds of past bombings in the country, are still at
\nlarge. The last bomb attack, which occurred outside the
\nAustralian Embassy on Jl. Rasuna Said, South Jakarta claimed 11
\nlives.<\/p>\n
Security personnel are also anticipating other disturbances,
\nincluding sabotage of the city's power or food supplies, mass
\nrallies and traffic jams.<\/p>\n
Aside from stringent security measures, the administration is
\nalso beautifying the city's parks, roads and median strips with
\nflowers and trees.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso has also assigned all mayors to urge street vendors
\nwho are currently occupying road shoulders on main arteries in
\nthe city to keep their area tidy.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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