Monument to be tourist site

BANDUNG: After years of neglect, the Bandung municipal administration has decided to turn the Bandung Lautan Api monument in Tegalega into a tourist destination.

The monument is currently packed by street vendors during the day, while at night, the place is a hangout for sex workers plying their trade.

"The monument is historic, so it must be preserved," said Bandung mayor Dada Rosada after officiating a ceremony on Wednesday commemorating the 58th anniversary of the Bandung Lautan Api incursion.

The monument marks the battle between Dutch colonialists and Bandung residents on March 23 and March 24, 1946. Local freedom fighters, mostly youths, defended the city against invading Dutch forces, although they were poorly equipped.

The Dutch burned Cimahi and Ujungberung to the ground after forcing the Indonesian freedom fighters to retreat into the surrounding forests. -- JP