City removes barriers at U.S., Australian embassies

City removes barriers at U.S., Australian embassies

Around 200 workers from the city transportation agency, city
public works agency and city public order agency removed the
concrete barriers in front of the Australian Embassy on Jl. H.R.
Rasuna Said, Kuningan, South Jakarta (left photo), and the U.S.
Embassy on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan, Central Jakarta (right
photo) late on Friday evening.

The move was made amid mounting public complaints that the
barriers were causing traffic jams.

However, some security guards from the Australian Embassy
attempted to replace the barriers again on Saturday morning, but
to no avail as city transportation agency officials insisted that
slow lane, which had previously been closed, remain open.

Some police officers were seen posted near the barriers on
Saturday.

City transportation agency deputy head Nurachman said that the
removal of the concrete barriers at the Australian Embassy had
long been planned, but had been repeatedly delayed due to
objections from the embassy arising out of security concerns.

"After this, we plan to repair the damage to the road in front
of the (Australian) embassy," he said.

Last week, the administration sent a letter to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs seeking assistance in having the roadblocks at
the embassies removed.

The administration said that the Jakarta police had advised
that the barriers be removed and the closed-off road lanes
reopened. The police gave assurances that the removal of the
barriers would not significantly affect security arrangements at
the two embassies.

Australian Embassy spokesperson Elizabeth O'Neill declined to
comment on the reopening of the slow lane in front of her
embassy.

"Our main priority is to ensure the safety of Indonesian and
Australian staff at the Embassy. We will continue working
together with the Indonesian authorities about security issues at
the embassy," she told The Jakarta Post.

The embassy had said earlier that it would agree to the
reopening of the road "in the next couple of months pending the
completion of substantial construction and repair work at the
embassy".

U.S. Embassy spokesperson Max Kwak could not be immediately
reached for comment on Saturday.

But, he said last week that his embassy had told the
Indonesian government that it was looking forward to "moving the
barrier and returning the lane to traffic at the earliest
opportunity after the embassy and the Indonesian government have
made suitable arrangements for the security of the embassy". --
JP