U.S. embassy criticized over barbed wire block
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)