Threats and Security
Since its founding, JIS has been affected by the political and economic turbulence of Jakarta, receiving both direct and indirect threats to its security. During the 1960s, an attempted coup d'état by the Communist Party of Indonesia forced the evacuation of the school. In 1998, the school year ended early due to riots leading up to President Suharto's resignation.
JIS has also been a potential target for terrorism. Following the 2002 Bali bombings, JIS and other international schools in Jakarta closed for several weeks after warnings of a possible terror attack. JIS was also on the target list of the terrorist group responsible for the 2003 Marriott Hotel bombing, which killed 13 people.
In response to these threats, JIS has made security upgrades. In 2002, the school added a three-meter-high "blast wall," a "boom gate" in front of the school, and protective security film over exterior windows. According to the head of the Australian International School in Jakarta, JIS received $2 million in US government security assistance in 2004. By 2005, the school had installed a security fence, with guards checking cars before they enter the premises.
From May 2005 to June 2008, counterterrorism officials stated their belief that the threat of a terrorist attack in Jakarta had diminished, although authorities continued to stress the need for vigilance.
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