Mrs. Nasution opposes removal of Ade's grave
JAKARTA (JP): The ongoing relocation of the Blok P public cemetery in South Jakarta may be suspended due to controversy over negotiations with relatives.
Johana Sunarti Nasution, the mother of national hero Ade Irma Suryani Nasution, yesterday condemned the city's plan.
"Does not the Jakarta administration pay any respect to history anymore?
"Should every historical relic be sacrificed for money?"
Nasution was reminding the mayoralty of a promise by former Jakarta governor Henk Ngantung, who guaranteed during Ade's funeral on Oct. 7, 1965 that the Blok P public cemetery would not be relocated.
Earlier, the government offered to bury Ade at the Kalibata National Hero Cemetery in South Jakarta. But Nasution rejected the offer because she wanted Ade buried at a public cemetery to maintain her closeness with the people.
Ade, the youngest daughter of former House speaker Gen. (ret.) Abdul Haris Nasution, was shot and killed by rebel members of the presidential guard corps Cakrabirawa in the early hours of Oct. 1, 1965. She was five years old at the time.
Members of the presidential guard corps were believed to have been involved in an abortive coup attempt blamed on the outlawed Indonesian Communist Party.
Ade's father, a respected senior military member, was widely recognized as a strong critic of government policies.
The girl's body was one of 4,626 buried in the Blok P cemetery.
The Jakarta administration is relocating the remains to two public cemeteries. The remains of 3,724 Moslems will be moved to Srengseng Sawah public cemetery, while the remaining 902, who were Christians, will go to Kampung Kandang public cemetery. Both are in South Jakarta.
The work is being done between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. and is expected to be completed by Sept. 21.
On Wednesday, governor Surjadi sent a letter to Nasution asking her to further discuss the relocation plan.
A member of staff at Nasution's residence said yesterday that the meeting was scheduled for early next week.
Stubborn
Despite objections from city councilors, the municipality has insisted on continuing the relocation of Blok P cemetery to make way for the South Jakarta mayoralty's new office.
Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said earlier that the plan would go ahead because the mayoralty really needed a new office.
He said the municipality had approached relatives of those buried at the cemetery and explained the reasons for the construction of a new office.
Councilor Saud Rachman of the United Development Party (PPP) urged the municipality on Tuesday to consult the council on the plan because it changed the designated use of land from a green area to an office site. This move would be against the current 1985/2005 city plan, he said.
But, the head of the City Planning Agency, Ahmaddin Ahmad, said that changing a land's designated use needed approval from the governor not the councilors.
When the removal is completed, construction of the Rp 54.8 billion ($20.67 million) office will start. It is expected to be completed by 2001.
The project consists of a 16-story building for the mayoralty's main office and two four-story buildings for public services.
The city, however, has not revealed its plan for the current site of the South Jakarta mayoralty office on Jl. Trunojoyo, which is adjacent to the ASEAN Secretariat and National Police Headquarters. (imn)