Bandung pushes to host Asia-africa golden jubile

Bandung pushes to host Asia-africa golden jubile

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

The West Java provincial government and the Bandung municipal
government have asked the central government to decide on Bandung
as the host city for the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Asia
Africa Conference (AAC) next year.

West Java Governor Danny Setiawan and Bandung mayor Dadang
Rosada have said that the people of Bandung and the local
governments were ready to host the Golden Jubilee.

"We are ready. But, the problem is that the central government
has not yet determined the site of the event," he told reporters
recently.

Danny argued that, from a historical point of view, Bandung
deserved to host the jubilee. "The first Asia Africa Conference
was held in Bandung in 1955," he said.

The first meeting was historic, as it was the first time many
countries in Asia and Africa convened in a meeting after World
War II, to voice opposition to colonialism.

Bandung, Danny went on, was ready to host the conference, as
it has many facilities, including hotels that can accommodate
guests from countries all over Asia and Africa.

But, he admitted that several things had to be spruced up for
the event if it were to be held in Bandung.

The Husein Sastranegara Airport, the main gateway for arriving
foreign delegates, the completion of the Pasteur-Surapati flyover
to reduce traffic in the area and the building of a convention
hall are among the preparations needed.

Renovation and construction of supporting facilities for the
conference must be completed by February 2005 or two months ahead
of the event which would be attended by at least 102 heads of
state from AAC member countries.

Mayor Dada said that until now, the central government was
still unsure whether Bandung was equipped to run the event,
especially in view of the absence of an international class
convention center, which could accommodate over 3,000 people and
the small number of presidential suites there.

There are only seven presidential suites among all the hotels
in Bandung, while there would be more than 100 heads of state
coming.

"The events could be held in the Merdeka Building or Sasana
Budaya Ganesha Building here, they are big enough to accommodate
the participants of the conference.

Regarding hotels, not all of heads of state would necessarily
stay in presidential suites," he said.

Bambang Budi Asmara, head of the Asia Africa Foundation, said
the hesitancy of the central government would make investors
reluctant to build five-star hotels and a convention center near
Merdeka Building on Jl. Asia-Afrika.

He revealed that two five-star hotels and the Asia-Africa Twin
Tower would be build in front of the Merdeka Building, while a
convention hall with a capacity of 2,500 to 3,000 people would be
built next to it.

He said that the investment funds were available to start
construction and acquisition of land in several places in the
city by the end of February but so far no activities had started
because no companies had submitted proposals to carry out the
projects.

"They are waiting for the green light from the central
government," he said.

Separately, H.S. Hermawan, head of the Bandung chapter
Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), said it would
be a disappointment if Bandung was not named host for the AAC
just because of not having many suite facilities.

"Bandung already has international-class hotel facilities
usually frequented by foreign tourists," he said.

He anticipated that the Golden Jubilee celebrations would open
opportunities and promote tourist attractions and boost business
in the area.

"All this while, we only hear of Bali, Jakarta and
Yogyakarta," he said.