Founding fathers take pride of place

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 08/30/2007 1:52 PM  |  Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Wednesday inaugurated statues of founding fathers Sukarno and Moh. Hatta at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang.

Also attending the ceremony were relatives of the country's first president, Sukarno, and vice president Hatta, including State Minister for Women's Empowerment Meutia Hatta (third from left), Halida Hatta (second from left), Sukmawaty Soekarnoputri (left), Guntur Soekarnoputra (fourth from right) and his wife Henny Guntur (third from right).

Former vice president Try Sutrisno (fifth from right, wearing sunglasses) also attended the ceremony.

The 7.2-meter-tall statues are the work of the Bandung-based sculptor Sunaryo who is also responsible for the General Sudirman statue on Jl. Sudirman, South Jakarta.

The bronze statues are situated in a small park with a fountain that features 17 jets, 17 styles of lighting and nine underwater lights.

Sukarno, who was born in East Java on June 6, 1901, served the country from 1945 until 1965 following a military takeover. He died in Jakarta on June 21, 1970, after two years of house arrest.

Moh. Hatta (1902-1980) was among the country's first political intellectuals. The Sumatran-born leader greatly contributed to the drafting of the people's economic development concept, which promoted the gradual development of village cooperatives.

The event, held at around 9 a.m., caused traffic to bank up along inner-city turnpikes heading to the airport as the airport toll gates were closed for the duration of the ceremony.

Four minibuses of protesters bound for the airport were forced to turn back due to the ceremony.

Although they were barred from entering the airport grounds, some 500 members of the Indramayu Migrant Workers and Family Association (PKBMI) gathered instead near the shut toll gates.

They demanded that the government close the airport's special arrival terminal for migrant workers, Terminal III, which they claimed created more problems for them than helped them.

""Migrant workers often fall victim to theft, bribery and extortion by scalpers and even airport officials,"" association coordinator Juwarih said.

Although they received no response from the airport management, the protesters dispersed peacefully. --JP/Multa Fidrus

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.