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The US Embassy’s sidewalk
Many Jakartans were annoyed because the city looked like it was at war given the barbwire fence and moveable concrete barriers that stretched 170 meters outside the embassy compound on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan.
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Acting Jakarta governor Heru Budi Hartono (second right) inspects the conditions of the sidewalk in front of the US Embassy on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan in Central Jakarta, on June 11. (Antara/PPID DKI Jakarta)
T
he 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations was the legal basis for the Jakarta administration to allow the United States Embassy in the capital to close the sidewalk in front of the premises in 2002. And after more than 20 years, the US Embassy has agreed to reopen the pavement for public pedestrians on June 9. It is too late, but still laudable.
According to Article 22 of the Vienna Convention, the receiving state is under a special duty to take all appropriate steps to protect the premises of the mission against any intrusion or damage and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of the mission or impairment of its dignity.
Article 30 states that the private residence of a diplomatic agent shall enjoy the same inviolability and protection as the premises of the mission. Indonesia has ratified the convention and, consequently, has to abide by the international treaty.
The decision to reopen the sidewalk, after public outcry, is a big relief for both the US Embassy and the Indonesian government. The 21-year closure was seen by the public as more serious than just the loss of people’s right to access public spaces. Many Jakartans were annoyed because the city looked like it was at war given the barbwire fence and moveable concrete barriers that stretched 170 meters outside the embassy compound on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan. The problem was there were hardly any public relations efforts to explain why the security measures were in place for so long.
Many, if not most, people are not familiar with the Vienna Convention. For security reasons, a number of other embassies of major countries in Jakarta have also received the same treatment, but only temporarily.
Before removing the barriers from the sidewalk outside the US Embassy, the city administration had received the green light from the Foreign Ministry and the National Police Headquarters.
US Ambassador to Indonesia Sung Kim said the embassy was willing to reopen the sidewalk to the public. “Accessibility, safety, and walkability are all important considerations for a major city like Jakarta. We have informed the Indonesian government that the U.S. would welcome the reopening of the sidewalk in front of the Embassy,” the envoy said on his Twitter account recently.
