British Embassy to move from Jl. Thamrin to Kuningan

British Embassy to move from Jl. Thamrin to Kuningan

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Amid growing security concerns, the British Embassy has decided
to move its office to a location on Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said, in
Kuningan, South Jakarta, from Jl. M.H. Thamrin, in Central
Jakarta.

The plan was made public by Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso
following a meeting with the new British Ambassador to Indonesia
Charles Humfrey.

"The current location of the embassy is unsuitable and not
convenient for visitors and passersby as they often have to close
off access to the compound.

"They also acknowledged that the location does not meet
security requirements," Sutiyoso said at City Hall.

The embassy is located close to the Hotel Indonesia traffic
circle, a favored site for demonstrations.

Sutiyoso said that his administration would help the embassy
to move by vacating the designated location.

No further details were available on the new site or when the
move will take place.

Embassy press officer, Faye Belnis, told The Jakarta Post by
phone that they have considered a number of locations.

"But we haven't yet made a final decision," she said.
"Hopefully, we could move within a reasonable period of time."

The embassy has started closing both ends of a section of Jl.
Prof. Moch. Yamin in Central Jakarta and a lane of Jl. M.H.
Thamrin, due to mounting protests against the US-led military
operation in Iraq outside the embassy.

The embassy was admonished by Sutiyoso in June last year for
cutting back an old banyan tree (Ficus benjamina) inside the
compound without the administration's permission. The tree
branches reportedly obstructed security cameras. The embassy
apologized for the incident.