'Three-in-one' policy applied to cemeteries<\/p>\n
By T. Sima Gunawan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): More than 100 people die in Jakarta everyday.
\nBetween 80 and 90 of these deaths are officially reported to the
\nCity Cemetery Agency. Ninety percent of the bodies are buried in
\nthe city, while the rest are either sent out of town or cremated.<\/p>\n
Due to the limited space in Jakarta's cemeteries, the city
\nadministration has underlined the need to use every inch of land
\neffectively, by, for example, allowing the burial of three bodies
\nin one grave.<\/p>\n
\"We have to put things in order, otherwise the city will be
\nfull of cemeteries,\" Ayi Achmad, head of the City Cemetery
\nAgency's information service, said.<\/p>\n
The City Cemetery Agency has every right to be concerned. The
\ncity's mortality rate grows as the population increases. In 1985,
\nfor example, the burial rate was 68 a day, last year it surpassed
\n90.<\/p>\n
In the past, tombs and mausoleums could be built on plots of
\nland, but under the City Ordinance No.2\/ 1992, each grave must
\nnow measure exactly 1.5 by 2.5 square meters. A grave can
\naccommodate a maximum of three bodies. The burial of the second
\nand third bodies, however, can only be executed at least a year
\nafter the first body is buried.<\/p>\n
\"We strongly suggest that the heir or heiress of the deceased
\nuse the same grave when another member of the family dies,\"
\nAchmad said in a recent interview with The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
If anyone wants to use a grave which already contains a body
\nwhich is not a member of the family, they will be required to
\nobtain written consent from the family or relatives of the first
\nuser.<\/p>\n
Achmad said the scheme is only implemented where the water
\ntable is low enough, because the last (third) body must be at
\nleast one meter from surface.<\/p>\n
\"In North Jakarta, the policy can't be applied because the
\nwater table is too close to the surface. Water fills the hole if
\nyou dig more than a meter,\" Achmad explained.<\/p>\n
The government's \"three-in-one\" burial policy seems to have
\ngained public support.<\/p>\n
\"It is a good idea. I don't think anyone will have any
\nobjections being buried with the people they loved,\" Elvira
\nCombaitan, an air hostess, commented.<\/p>\n
Sri Gustini, a housewife, said her heart sank when she heard
\nabout the regulation for the first time because she envisioned \"a
\npile of corpses in one grave.\" As she learned the details,
\nhowever, she was relieved and supported its implementation.<\/p>\n
\"What is important is the approval of the first user of the
\ngrave. If a couple decides to be buried in the same grave, but
\none of them dies 10 or 20 years after the other, the government
\nshould leave a space for the one who dies later,\" she insisted.<\/p>\n
Actually, recycling graves isn't new. Although for more
\nemotional reasons, like a mother wanting her two sons to be
\nburied in one grave, it has been practiced in Jakarta since the
\n1960s.<\/p>\n
\"The right to use a grave is valid for three years. If the
\nfamily doesn't extend it, we let others use the grave,\" Achmad
\nexplained.<\/p>\n
He added that there are Indonesians who don't seem to care
\nmuch about the graves of deceased family members and do not
\nextend the right to use the grave. When they visit the cemetery a
\nfew years later, they cannot find the grave because the site has
\nbeen used to bury other bodies.<\/p>\n
\"In such a case, what we can do is to show them where the
\noriginal grave is, but we can't move the new bodies,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The city administration charges up to Rp 50,000 to rent a plot
\nfor three years, depending on the location. The longer you rent
\nthe grave, the more you have to pay. For the first three years,
\npeople pay 50 percent of the basic levies. Full payment is
\nrequired when the use of the grave is extended for another three
\nyears. A second term costs 150 percent of the basic fees. Each
\nsubsequent extension costs 200 percent of the basic fees. Poor
\npeople, however, don't have to pay.<\/p>\n
Services<\/p>\n
The City Cemetery Agency also offers various funeral services.
\nThe washing and treatment of a body runs between Rp 50,000 and Rp
\n75,000, depending on the ritual.<\/p>\n
\"We charge more for Buddhist rituals because we need arak
\nputih (white wine) to wash the body,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The agency has 40 hearses available. Inside the city they cost
\nRp 12,500 for two hours, while transportation to other towns runs
\nRp 600 a kilometer.<\/p>\n
Many people, however, have paid more because they didn't know
\nabout the official tariffs and were extorted by middlemen.<\/p>\n
Aware of the problem, Achmad called on the public to contact
\nthe cemetery offices in the five mayoralties for the necessary
\ninformation.<\/p>\n
There are 70 public cemeteries throughout the five
\nmayoralties, according to Achmad. Eighty percent of the graves
\nare allocated for Moslems, 15 percent for Christians and five
\npercent for Hindus and Buddhists.<\/p>\n
\"In the past, the cemeteries were divided according to race.
\nThere were Dutch cemeteries, Chinese cemeteries, Arab cemeteries
\nand those for natives,\" said Achmad.<\/p>\n
In 1973 the government grouped graves according to the
\ndeceased's religion in an effort to eliminate racist policies.<\/p>\n
The city administration issued a new regulation on cemeteries
\nin 1992, emphasizing the effective use of space. The regulation
\nstandardizes cemeteries, ruling that each hectare should have
\n1,600 graves.<\/p>\n
The regulation also bans burial outside public cemeteries,
\nsuch as house yards, and the construction of mausoleums or tombs.
\nThe use of bricks or concrete when constructing graves is also
\nprohibited. Only soil, grass and a tombstone are allowed.<\/p>\n
\"If you want to use a coffin, you are not allowed to use hard
\nwood, like teak, which is difficult to pulverize,\" Achmad said.<\/p>\n
In addition, people are not allowed to plant trees but
\ndecorative plants no taller than a meter are allowed.<\/p>\n
Anyone found violating the regulations can face three months
\nin prison and\/or a Rp 50,000 fine. So far, however, no one has
\nbeen charged under the ordinance.<\/p>\n
The city administration also plans to make public cemeteries
\ngreen areas. Three cemeteries, Karet Bivak, Tanah Kusir and
\nPondok Rangon, have been selected as pilot projects.<\/p>\n
The 19.8-hectare Karet Bivak cemetery is located on Jl.
\nPenjernihan in a densely populated area in the heart of Jakarta.
\nThe upgrading project will start soon and has been allocated Rp
\n2.6 billion (US$1.18 million).<\/p>\n
\"The renovation of the front of the cemetery is expected to be
\ncompleted this year,\" Achmad said.<\/p>\n
There will be a plaza with nice fountains and a lot of trees
\nin the cemetery, which currently has about 40,000 graves. In the
\nfirst stage, more than 3,200 graves will be relocated to other
\nsites.<\/p>\n
\"People must understand that everything here must be put in
\norder. A grave will be relocated if the site is needed for city
\ndevelopment,\" he said.<\/p>",
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