Blok M and Taman Mini prepared for summit participants
Blok M and Taman Mini prepared for summit participants
Abdul Khalik
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Security officers would direct delegates at the Asian-African
Summit to Blok M in South Jakarta should they wish to do some
shopping, police said on Monday.
The delegates, however, they may visit other shopping centers
in the capital but would not be accompanied by security
personnel.
City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said that the
delegates have also been scheduled to visit Taman Mini Indonesia
Indah in East Jakarta, but did not give any date when they would
visit the park.
"We have placed 120 security personnel at each of the places
to make sure that the area is secured," Tjiptono told The Jakarta
Post.
Blok M is well-known for its merchandise -- from low-priced
merchandise around Melawai to higher-priced goods in shopping
centers such as Pasaraya Grande or Blok M Plaza. People often say
visitors have not come to Jakarta if they have not visited Blok
M.
Taman Mini, on the other hand, is a place where people can see
the traditions and culture of all provinces in Indonesia in one
vast park.
Security preparations for Blok M and Taman Mini are being made
by the police, who have also conducted many raids throughout the
city from April 10 to April 17. Hundreds of people have so far
been arrested for carrying sharp weapons, firearms and drugs. The
city has been on full alert since April 15.
More stringent security measures will be in place on April 20
and April 21 when foreign ministers from all the participating
countries will meet at the Jakarta Convention Center while a
total of 24,701 personnel will guard the April 22 to 24 April
conference where 56 heads of the state will gather.
Around 60 bomb squad personnel will guard the Hilton Hotel and
Mulia Hotel to prevent any possible bomb attack.
Police are deploying 10,854 personnel while the remainder come
from the TNI and city administration.
Police have also provided the shortest possible routes from
both Halim Perdanakusuma in East Jakarta and the Soekarno-Hatta
Airport in Cengkareng, Banten province to the Hilton Hotel and
Mulia Hotel, where most of the participants will stay.
From Halim Perdanakusuma, all participants will pass Cawang,
Jl. MT. Haryono, Jl. Gatot Subroto, Semanggi, and end up at the
Hilton and Mulia.
From the Soekarno-Hatta Airport, they will go through
Sediyatmo toll road to the Semanggi cloverleaf and then to the
Hilton and Mulia hotels.
The route from Soekarno-Hatta to Hilton or Mulia, and from
Halim Perdanakusuma to both hotels will be guarded by 206 and 356
personnel respectively.