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