Sutiyoso rejects U.S. wall proposal<\/p>\n
Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso has rejected the U.S. Embassy's request to
\nconstruct massive, three-meter-high walls to replace the current
\ntransparent walls in the embassy compound and those encircling
\nthe residences of the U.S. ambassador and vice ambassador.<\/p>\n
\"The construction of such massive walls would violate 1991
\nBylaw No.7 on Building Design,\" head of City Building Control and
\nPlanning Djumhana said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"Even the current three-meter transparent walls are already a
\nconcession on the maximum height of 2.5 meters, as stipulated in
\nthe bylaw.\"<\/p>\n
Djumhana was speaking after a meeting between Sutiyoso and
\nU.S. assistant regional security officer Biryon Bacik.<\/p>\n
However, the governor hinted that a high wall could be
\nconstructed three meters behind the current transparent ones.<\/p>\n
\"The embassy should also lay out gardens and flower beds
\nbetween the two walls to improve the aesthetic appearance of the
\ncompound.<\/p>\n
\"Gardens and flower beds would reduce the impression that the
\nU.S. Embassy is a fort,\" Djumhana said, quoting Sutiyoso.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso also added that once the massive walls had been built
\nthe movable concrete barriers in front of the embassy premises on
\nJl. Medan Merdeka Selatan ought to be removed.<\/p>\n
However, the embassy insisted that it would not remove the
\nbarriers if the city administration refused to allow the
\nconstruction of a solid wall in place of the transparent one.<\/p>\n
The barriers were erected last September after the embassy
\nclosure that followed possible threats to the embassy, which did
\nnot materialize.<\/p>\n
The threats were related to the first anniversary of the Sept.
\n11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington D.C.<\/p>\n
Earlier last year, U.S. Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce also sought
\npermission to change the transparent wall to a solid one and
\nbuild another two-meter-high transparent wall on top of that.<\/p>\n
It was said that the request was based on a policy laid down
\nby Washington for all of its embassies around the world.<\/p>\n
The city administration also rejected that first request.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sutiyoso-rejects-us-wall-proposal-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }