U.S. embassy criticized over barbed wire block

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso and City Council Speaker Edy Waluyo strongly criticized the U.S. Embassy on Monday for placing barbed wire barricades along the southern side of Jl. Merdeka Selatan in Central Jakarta.

Sutiyoso and Edy said the placement of the barricades had obstructed use of the public road and had disturbed many motorists.

They asked embassy officials to remove all of the barricades from the street. The 1-meter-wide triangular barricades line the street in front of the embassy compound.

The four-lane road is also home to the offices of the governor and city council speaker. The Vice President's office separates their offices from the U.S. Embassy.

According to Sutiyoso, he will send an official letter to the embassy requesting its staff remove the barricades, saying they interfere with motorists using the street.

"I understand that we should be always on alert as street rallies or demonstration happen in the city almost every day. But they (the U.S. Embassy) have overreacted," the governor said.

Edy said that unauthorized parties, including embassies, could not place barricades wherever they liked, although he acknowledged the embassy may have received several threats.

"The American Embassy placed the things on the road, which is a public facility. They should have considered that these barricades would disturb the comfort of other people, mainly drivers and passersby," the councilor said.

Edy gave his support to the governor's plan to send an official letter to the embassy requesting the removal of the barbed wire fences.

"Such action is needed so that all parties respect the existing regulation," he said.

When asked to comment on Sutiyoso's and Edy's objections, the embassy's press attache, Craig J. Stromme, told The Jakarta Post the barricade placement was for the security of the embassy, which had recently undergone renovations to the front of the building.

Stromme did not elaborate, saying: "We have no comment on the matter as we haven't received the governor's objection."

According to Sutiyoso, he had known of the barricades for quite a long time, as he often passes the embassy.

"At first I thought the fences were placed during the renovation works. But why should they still let the fences occupy the street after the works have been completed?" the governor asked.

Referring to the construction of fences at high-rise buildings out of fear of unrest prior to the upcoming elections, Sutiyoso said he would tolerate this even though it breached a 1988 city bylaw, which stipulates that fences should not be higher than 1.5 meters.

"But I hope they will lower the fences again after the poll," he said. (ind)