U.S. embassy to move over security<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The United States Embassy on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan in Central
\nJakarta will move to a new site within the Golden Triangle area,
\naccording to the head of City Spatial Agency Nurfakih Wirawan.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a hearing with the City Council's Commission D for
\ndevelopment affairs, Nurfakih said that the U.S. Embassy had
\nconveyed its plan to the city administration, but has yet to make
\ndecision on the exact location of its new office.<\/p>\n
\"The embassy has expressed its intention to move to a more
\nsecure place,\" Nurfakih said when asked about the closure of the
\nroad under the railway line, just east of the embassy.<\/p>\n
United States Embassy staff were not available for comment on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
The embassy has become an easy target for anti-U.S. and anti-
\nwar protests, especially since the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan
\nand Iraq.<\/p>\n
The British Embassy on Jl. HM Thamrin, Central Jakarta has
\nalso expressed a desire to move its office to Jl. HR Rasuna Said
\nin South Jakarta, also for security reasons.<\/p>\n
The government has implemented strong security for the
\nembassies following bomb blasts in Jakarta and other cities
\nacross the country.<\/p>\n
Dozens of police are constantly stationed outside the U.S.
\nEmbassy. Half of Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan in front of the
\nembassy has been blocked off by one-meter high concrete road
\nseparators and razor wire, and the road to the east of the
\nembassy is currently closed to traffic.<\/p>\n
The U.S. Embassy had also requested that the city
\nadministration allow it to replace the current perimeter fence
\nwith three-meter concrete wall. But the request was knocked back
\nby Governor Sutiyoso because it would violate existing
\nregulations.<\/p>\n
Nurfakih said the city administration had allocated areas for
\ndiplomatic compounds in the Setiabudi district, surrounding Jl.
\nHR Rasuna Sahid and Jl. Casablanca in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"The administration hopes that all embassies will move to the
\ncompound for security reasons, but we cannot force them to go
\nthere,\" he said, adding that it would be difficult to find a
\nlocation for the United States Embassy as they apparently
\nrequired more than four hectares of land.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-embassy-to-move-over-security-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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