Soeharto okays construction of huge monument in Bali

Soeharto okays construction of huge monument in Bali

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto yesterday gave the go ahead
for the construction of the Garuda Wisnu Kencana, a monument in
Bali which will be taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York,
and stressed that no government money will be used.

The Rp 80 billion (US$38 million) needed for the project must
be raised entirely from the public, probably from entrepreneurs,
Soeharto said yesterday when meeting with the officials
responsible for the construction, including Bali Governor Ida
Bagus Oka, Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop
Ave, architect Aribustaman and creator Nyoman Nuarta.

The statue, planned to take the form of the legendary Garuda
bird, will be built on 100 hectares of land, located some eight
kilometers southeast of Denpasar's Ngurah Rai airport.

The monument, including the bird and its supporting structure,
will be 135 meters high.

Joop said the Garuda's body will be gold-plated.
Amphitheaters, bird parks and amusement centers will be built
around the monument, he said.

The project, conceived almost four years ago by Joop himself,
has triggered heated debate among the local Balinese community,
government officials and non-Balinese.

Those opposed to the project, including students of Udayana
University in Denpasar, call the project a waste of money.

Those who supported the project said Bali's younger generation
needs a new means to express their creativity, which, according
to them, can be achieved by building such a statue.

The culture and art which Bali currently possesses, they
argued, are mere remnants of those during the lives of their
ancestors.

President Soeharto's instructions yesterday, however, may be a
signal that the disputes will end.

Bagus Oka said the statue is no longer the main issue. "What
is more important is the effort to transform the unproductive,
destroyed areas into a lush green site."

The project, after three long years of research and
feasibility studies, will begin in the near future and is
expected to be completed in three years, he said.

"President Soeharto asked whether the project could be
finished earlier in time for the 50th anniversary of Indonesia's
independence next year," Bagus Oka said.

This will unfortunately be impossible because the builders
have to move cautiously given that Indonesia has limited
experience with this kind of work,

The governor said the disputes ceased after those who were
originally against the plan were informed that the monument would
not disturb the environment.

Minister of Mines and Energy I.B. Sudjana, the most prominent
Balinese in the government and also the patron of the foundation
managing the project, said a company will be established under
the foundation to manage tourism at the statue.

Many sources have volunteered to contribute to the project,
such as the state companies under the Ministries of Tourism, Post
and Telecommunications and of Mines and Energy, as well as the
Krakatau Steel company, he said.

"A tourist entrepreneur from West Java has volunteered to
contribute one kilogram of gold to this project," Joop added.
(pwn)