Monas: Space wanted

Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The National Monument, which sits in the middle of the capital and is known almost universally as Monas, serves numerous functions for residents and visitors of Jakarta.

For street vendors, its grounds offer the opportunity to make a living, as Monas remains one of the city's best-known landmarks and a popular tourist destination, attracting an average of 800,000 visitors a year.

And then there are those who, once night falls, use the park for other activities.

"I often find condoms when I clean the park in the morning, especially after Friday or Saturday night," said one Monas sanitation worker.

Much of the park is dirty and unpleasant. Many of the over 10,000 trees are diseased. The pond in the middle of the park is polluted, though this doesn't stop homeless people from using it to bathe and wash their clothes.

The deputy head of the City Park Agency, A. Susanto, said that every Monday his workers collected up to three and a half truck- loads of garbage at Monas, compared to one and half on other days.

He also said the city administration spent Rp 5 billion each year to maintain the monument.

On Sunday mornings, the park is transformed into a huge market for inexpensive goods.

"This place is all right for family recreation," said Eben Manik, 37, who works for a private company.

But Eben, who has been visiting the park since he was a boy, added: "It is not as nice as it used to be."

In 1954, the government began work on the monument, which was to stand in the center of 100 hectares of land. The purpose of Monas was to commemorate the country's independence, as well as to develop a tourist attraction for the world community.

Fifteen years later, the city administration began to develop 82 hectares as a green belt, namely Medan Merdeka park.

The administration specifically proposed the park serve as a "civil center" that would enhance the image of the monument as the symbol of the city.

But the city administration has allowed parties to develop buildings in the park. During the economic crisis in 1998, Governor Sutiyoso approved the building of cafes "to help the needy".

And now a building has popped up in the park for the one-week Regional Autonomy exhibition, which ends on Sunday.

In response to criticism of the "misuse" of the park, Sutiyoso calmly said he approved the building because it was temporary.

It is certainly true that there have been many projects undertaken with the stated intention of improving Monas park. The problem is that these projects often overlap. One might start before the previous one is completed or, even worse, a project that has just been completed might be demolished and replaced by a new project.

Currently there are at least 15 institutions managing the park, each with its own responsibilities.

The National Monument management office, for example, is responsible for the monument itself, while the Central Jakarta mayoralty, the Public Order Office and the Civilian Guards Regional Headquarters are responsible for maintaining order.

And there appears to be no coordination among them.

According to Gubernatorial Decree No. 51/2000, the City Park Agency is in charge of technical plans and the development of the park. However, Susanto said managing the park's development required coordination with other institutions, including the City Public Works Agency and the City Public Lightning Agency.

This agency confusion makes it evident that clearer regulations on the management of Monas are needed.

Also necessary is a compromise between the city administration and the vendors who work in the park, according to city landscape architect Budi Sukada.

"The city administration could provide the vendors a location in the area, lay down strict rules on sanitation and cite them for any violations," he said.

Budi also said that Monas should not be used like parks in Europe, but must rather accommodate Indonesian culture.

"It is not a part of our culture to have a picnic and stroll in the park like Europeans, therefore why not accommodate the concept of alun-alun, which we are more familiar with," he said, referring to the main squares commonly found in towns in Java where people gather and vendors sell their goods.

"This is more realistic than trying to instill a concept we are not accustomed to," Budi said.