Damage threatens

Damage threatens national heritage

From Kompas

The Kota railway station in Jakarta, built by the Dutch in 1828, is in bad repair. Its annex, used by the colonial government as an office to provide railway-related services, has lost its original form. Within the station, besides its office and ticket sale rooms, many spaces have been rented out to private firms, so that they have been modified over the last 10 years.

In the 1980s, the annex served as a waiting room due to the many trans-Java trains picking up and dropping off passengers at Kota, but the building retained its original structure. Over the last two years, trans-Java trains have no longer picked up passengers, although the waiting room continues to serve passengers, particularly Jakarta-Bogor commuters.

Part of the annex room now "idle" has been rented to private companies, which have pulled down the structure for their business purposes -- with the station management's permission.

However, as a national heritage asset, the station is protected by a law that preserves all historic and archeological objects and sites. Anybody intentionally damaging, stealing and removing such objects is liable to prison terms.

So why has the demolition of the station annex, which is still ongoing, been tolerated? The relevant authorities should have prevented the destruction and taken action against violators.

Bribery is therefore suspected.

RM IGN SOEDIRO Bogor, West Java