Batik Awaits UNESCO Seal of Approval

Jakarta - Indonesian batik is only one step away from gaining official recognition from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, as one of the world‘s intangible cultural heritages, an official said on Thursday.

Tjetjep Suparman, the director general of culture value, art and film at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said that after two years requesting official recognition for one of the country‘s riches, batik was now facing the final stage of judgment.

“The last determining phase is an overview by six countries, the members of the subsidiary body,” he said, after attending a working lunch with the ambassadors of the subsidiary body members in Jakarta.

“They will give their recommendations to UNESCO as to whether batik is truly one of our cultural heritages and can be addressed as one of the world‘s cultural heritages.”

Among the subsidiary body members are Estonia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Kenya and Mexico.

Tjetjep said the body would give a recommendation based on data submitted by Indonesia.

The compiled data includes the history of batik and different types of batik owned by the country.

Tjetjep said the subsidiary body would conduct intensive discussions until September, when the members attend an assembly held by UNESCO and submit their recommendations.

The body is scheduled to deliver its recommendation to the organization‘s members from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, when UNESCO holds a meeting in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

To date, kris, traditional Javanese knives, and wayang, Javanese and Sundanese puppet shows, have been acknowledged by the organization. Anita Rachman

Source: TheakartaGlobe.com (march 20^th, 2009)
Photo: http://www.pxlpplproject.com/batik_fractal.html

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