Liberating Medan Merdeka Square
Amid the city bustle, Miduk described the very worrying condition of Merdeka Square. He pointed at the permanent buildings standing along the western side of the square, which have become the Merdeka Walk snack center.
Miduk Hutabarat.
Miduk Hutabarat, 51, refused to remain silent about the condition of Merdeka Square in Medan, North Sumatra, which raised very deep concern over its status as a historic monument, a public space and part of the city’s tangible legacy. Along with a coalition of civil societies, he initiated action, published a book and filed a lawsuit in court. The efforts led to the declaration of Merdeka Square as being part of the city’s cultural heritage.
The blazing sun that caused stifling heat failed to dampen the enthusiasm of residents engaged in various activities in Merdeka Square in Medan on Wednesday (6/4/2022). A number of students were having a marching drill, some people were jogging, strolling and others were practicing fashion models’ catwalk style on a shady terrace.
Amid the city bustle, Miduk described the very worrying condition of Merdeka Square. He pointed at the permanent buildings standing along the western side of the square, which have become the Merdeka Walk snack center.
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“This is a form of public space privatization. People are even unable to enter Merdeka Square from the western side,” said Miduk, showing the locked gate as the partition between the snack center and the square.
No less disturbing is the presence of a permanent two-story parking building on the eastern side in squalid condition. On the second floor of the building are kiosks for secondhand books. This building is an annex to the Indonesian National Independence Struggle Monument.
Miduk Hutabarat.
In other parts there are unofficial parking lots, a police station and government offices. The rain trees surrounding the square are drying out. These trees are about 140 years old, planted on the occasion of the square’s opening in 1880, which was then named De Esplanade. The name was changed to Fukuraido during the Japanese occupation.
Of the 4.88-hectare area of Merdeka Square, over 2.2 ha have been converted into restaurants, parking lots and offices.
The situation prompted Miduk and his peers to initiate a coalition to rescue Merdeka Square in 2013. At the time, Miduk as coordinator of the Park Community was garnering support from different organizations and individuals.
The Park Community, the Sumatra Heritage Agency, the North Sumatra ’45 Fighting Spirit Cultivation Agency, the Indonesian Road Development Association, the Indonesian Archeologists Union of North Sumatra- Aceh, and the Indonesian Architects Association of North Sumatra came together. Supported by historians, cultural experts, architects, lecturers and journalists, they assembled under the Coalition of Civil Societies (KMS) of Medan-North Sumatra. Miduk became its coordinator.
Miduk Hutabarat.
The coalition held discussions, drew up petitions, announcements, organized commemorations, published a book, as well as filing and winning a citizen lawsuit in court. “The main aim of the coalition was to rescue Merdeka Square,” said Miduk, who is an architecture graduate of the Bandung Institute of Technology.
One of the important moves made by this coalition was the publication of a book entitled Lapangan Merdeka Medan, Ruang (Publik), Warisan Sejarah dan Budaya (Medan Merdeka Square, a Public Space, Historical and Cultural Heritage) in April 2021. The 570-page book pronounced a state of emergency to restore the soul of Merdeka Square and the adjacent Kesawan zone as the Parijs van Sumatra (Paris of Sumatra) belonging to the local citizens. The book contains 75 articles by 55 writers.
This book also presents 40 sketches of Medan city corners as the works of Medan’s sketcher community, over a dozen poems and documents of citizens’ movement seeking Merdeka Square’s liberation.
However, these attempts were not adequately responded to by the Medan city administration and the North Sumatra provincial government.
Miduk also several times arranged actions, theatrical shows and ceremonies at Merdeka Square. He once gathered public views that were written on a sheet 1,000 meters long, supporting the restoration of Merdeka Square’s functions. However, these attempts were not adequately responded to by the Medan city administration and the North Sumatra provincial government.
KMS Medan-North Sumatra finally filed a citizen lawsuit against the Medan mayor with the Medan District Court. The coalition won the suit in the first instance in July 2021. The judicial panel of the Medan District Court ordered the Medan mayor to issue a stipulation on Merdeka Square with the status of cultural heritage.
Medan Mayor Bobby Afif Nasution filed an appeal, but the judicial panel of the Medan District Court upheld the decision of the lower court in February 2022. “This is a victory of civil societies. It’s also the first citizen lawsuit won by citizens in North Sumatra,” Miduk pointed out.
Miduk Hutabarat.
Their efforts were financed by the coalition on a self-help basis. They raised donations from coalition members and people who cared about the struggle to liberate Medan’s Merdeka Square. The coalition avoided donations from those affiliated with political parties or the government.
In response to the court ruling, Medan Mayor Bobby has stipulated Medan’s Merdeka Square as an item of cultural heritage through Decision No.433/28.K/X/2021 on the Buildings, Sites, Zone and Structure of Merdeka Square as the Cultural Heritage of Medan City.
With the various endeavors made, in June 2018 KMS Medan-North Sumatra received an inscription award from the Indonesian Archeologists Union (IAAI) for supporting archeological activities in North Sumatra and Aceh. The inscription was signed by Culture, Education and Culture Ministry Director General Hilmar Farid and IAAI chairperson Wiwin Djuwita Ramelan.
Miduk Hutabarat.
Medan’s Merdeka Square has therefore been established as cultural heritage. Miduk hopes the stipulation will be followed up by restoring its function as a public space, legacy of the city and a historic monument.
Miduk Hutabarat
Education:
- Architecture Department, Bandung Institute of Technology, 1990-1995
- State Senior High School 11, Helvetia Medan 1986-1989
- State Junior High School 16, Helvetia Medan 1985-1986
- State Junior High School 02, Rantau Prapat 1983-1985
- Methodist Primary School 01, Rantau Prapat 1977-1983
(This article was translated by Aris Prawira).