U.S. embassy to move over security

U.S. embassy to move over security

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The United States Embassy on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan in Central
Jakarta will move to a new site within the Golden Triangle area,
according to the head of City Spatial Agency Nurfakih Wirawan.

Speaking at a hearing with the City Council's Commission D for
development affairs, Nurfakih said that the U.S. Embassy had
conveyed its plan to the city administration, but has yet to make
decision on the exact location of its new office.

"The embassy has expressed its intention to move to a more
secure place," Nurfakih said when asked about the closure of the
road under the railway line, just east of the embassy.

United States Embassy staff were not available for comment on
Thursday.

The embassy has become an easy target for anti-U.S. and anti-
war protests, especially since the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan
and Iraq.

The British Embassy on Jl. HM Thamrin, Central Jakarta has
also expressed a desire to move its office to Jl. HR Rasuna Said
in South Jakarta, also for security reasons.

The government has implemented strong security for the
embassies following bomb blasts in Jakarta and other cities
across the country.

Dozens of police are constantly stationed outside the U.S.
Embassy. Half of Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan in front of the
embassy has been blocked off by one-meter high concrete road
separators and razor wire, and the road to the east of the
embassy is currently closed to traffic.

The U.S. Embassy had also requested that the city
administration allow it to replace the current perimeter fence
with three-meter concrete wall. But the request was knocked back
by Governor Sutiyoso because it would violate existing
regulations.

Nurfakih said the city administration had allocated areas for
diplomatic compounds in the Setiabudi district, surrounding Jl.
HR Rasuna Sahid and Jl. Casablanca in South Jakarta.

"The administration hopes that all embassies will move to the
compound for security reasons, but we cannot force them to go
there," he said, adding that it would be difficult to find a
location for the United States Embassy as they apparently
required more than four hectares of land.