U.S. wants stronger wall to protect embassy

U.S. wants stronger wall to protect embassy

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso has rejected a personally delivered
request from U.S. Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce for permission to
build a new security fence at the embassy, saying the design was
illegal and would set a bad precedent.

However, council bylaws do allow discretion and the precedent
already exists, with the U.S. Embassy fences on Jl. Medan Merdeka
Selatan in Central Jakarta already well above the two-meter
maximum.

Boyce visited Sutiyoso on Monday to seek permission to
strengthen security at the embassy and the ambassador's and
deputy ambassador's residences on Jl. Taman Suropati, Central
Jakarta.

City Planning and Supervision of Buildings (P2B) Agency head
Djumhana said the Americans wanted to build a three-meter high
fence -- comprising a 2.5-meter-tall solid wall topped with 0.5-
meters of see-through bars -- to protect the embassy and the
residences.

Djumhana said the demand was rejected by Sutiyoso as it
breached City Bylaw No. 7/1991 on Fences for Residences and
Offices.

Under the bylaw, office fences should not exceed two meters:
one meter of solid wall and another meter of bars or chain mail.
Fences for residences should be not higher than 1.5 meters: one
meter of solid wall and 0.5 meter of iron bars or chain mail.

Sutiyoso confirmed the request from Ambassador Boyce, but said
he could not fulfill the request as it would set a bad precedent.

"If I allow the request, other ambassadors would ask for the
same things," Sutiyoso told the press on Monday.

Sutiyoso said that Ambassador Boyce told him the request to
strengthen the embassy's fence came from Washington and it was
not only for the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, but also in other
countries.

Currently, the Embassy is protected by a three-meter high
iron-bar fence.

Djumhana said though the existing fence breached the bylaw,
the law allowed the governor to give special treatment in certain
circumstances.

Djumhana said the governor gave Boyce two alternatives. First,
the embassy could build a one-meter wall, topped with two meters
of see-through protective material. The new fence could replace
the current fence.

The Second alternative was that the embassy could build a 2.5-
meter solid wall topped with 50 centimeters of see-through
material, but the location should be five-metres from the
existing fence, inside the embassy compound.

Djumhana said that before the fence was constructed, there
should be consultation between the embassy's architect and city
administration officials.

Fearing terrorist attacks, the U.S. Embassy had earlier urged
Jakarta Police to clear half of Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan of
parked cars. This followed a successful U.S. request to move the
U-turn from in front of the embassy to in front of City Hall.

City Hall and the embassy are separated by the Vice
Presidential palace.

Last year, the British Embassy managed to have a section of
Jl. Muhammad Yamin in Central Jakarta, where it is located,
closed after it received a bomb threat.