Opponents fault plan to erect heroes monuments

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration's plan to erect monuments of several national heroes on major streets in the capital bearing their names has met with outspoken opposition.

Contacted separately by The Jakarta Post on Monday, these critics urged Governor Sutiyoso to drop the plan because the monuments would do nothing to enhance the city or the lives of Jakartans.

They also suggested Sutiyoso and the city administration use the funds earmarked for the project to clean up the city's streets, parks and rivers.

"What's the use of such monuments? It's more important to follow the attitudes and deeds (of these national heroes), rather than building statues for them," city councilor Soleh Rachman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) faction said.

Arsono, a sculptor who has created many of the statues in Jakarta and who is currently making a replica of the city's famed Hermes statue, said the monuments, which would be placed at the tip of the streets' medians, would have no appeal.

"The people would not be able to see them properly," he said.

Suryono Herlambang, a lecturer at the Department of Architecture at Tarumanagara University, said: "I don't see any clear concept behind the plan. If it's meant to educate people about their heroes, will the people be able to recognize the monuments if they are placed on such busy thoroughfares."

Yori Antar of Young Architects of Indonesia and a city planning observer said: "I am worried that the idea of creating such monuments to the late heroes would only give the impression of authoritarianism similar to Russia."

The head of the City Park Agency, Syafril Zainuddin, said earlier the governor had instructed his office to come up with a proposal for erecting statues of several late national heroes, including Gen. Sudirman, M.H. Thamrin and Imam Bonjol.

The monuments are expected to be funded by the private sector.

"We will find sponsors for the monuments without having to disturb the city budget," Syafril said last Thursday when announcing the agency's ambitious Rp 11.9 billion (US$1.65 million) city beautification project for the 2000 fiscal year.

No way

Councilor Soleh said he fully supported the beautification project, but not the monuments.

"It will be more effective if private firms (use their funds to) clean the rivers in Jakarta or keep the parks in front of their buildings tidy.

"By doing this, city residents would be able to see and enjoy (the benefits)," he said.

"Take cleaning the rivers, for example. The companies can hire local residents to clean the rivers every day or pay the residents to regularly clean the rivers," he proposed.

The firms could also pay residents to plant and care for trees in the city's parks, Soleh added. "Can erecting monuments provide such advantages?"

Suryono urged the Sutiyoso administration to use the money from the private sector to widen the sidewalks along the capital's main streets. "Main thoroughfares should have wider sidewalks."

Yori expressed concern the monuments would become useless accessories. "If the monuments were accompanied by detailed descriptions of the heroes, would the people read them?"

He suggested the administration focus on creating more public parks in Jakarta.

But councilors H.A.H. Ishak of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction and Josef Mangondow Kabulloh of the Unity in Diversity Party (PBI) faction welcomed the plan.

"Governor Sutiyoso wants Jakarta to be equal with other metropolises (around the world)," Ishak said.

The involvement of the private sector, he added, could become a growing trend of residents participating in the beautification of the city.

Kabulloh said the plan would help city residents remember their national heroes. "It's such a great idea," he said. (ind/05/bsr)