Illegal trade in cultural artifacts widespread<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The illicit trade of cultural property, which involves local and
\ninternational syndicates, is rampant, but the government is
\nunable to combat it.<\/p>\n
Junus Satrio Atmodjo, director of archeology and museum
\naffairs at the Office of State Minister of Culture and Tourism,
\nsaid on Friday that the widespread smuggling of ancient objects
\nwas mainly due to people's lack of concern about the objects,
\nfinancial constraints in conserving heritage areas and legal
\nbarriers.<\/p>\n
\"We do not want to hide the fact that the illegal trade of
\ncultural property is rampant. It is embarrassing,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Statues, human and animal fossils and ceramics mainly hailing
\nfrom East Java and Central Java are among the ancient objects
\nbeing smuggled, he said.<\/p>\n
He has no data of the financial losses suffered by the country
\ndue to the illicit trade.<\/p>\n
Citing an example, he said an ancient ivory rosary from a
\nSangiran archeological site had been sold for Rp 16 million
\n(US$1,700) in Germany.<\/p>\n
How ostentatious the illicit possession of cultural property
\nis can be judged by the display in a four-star hotel in Bali of
\nat least 62 ancient statues from East Java.<\/p>\n
\"Where did they get all the ancient property from as the
\nIndonesian government prohibits the trade of such ancient
\nproperty? It must be illegal,\" Junus said.<\/p>\n
Ancient property in newly discovered temples in Yogyakarta,
\nwhich remain uncovered, also face the threat of theft and
\nsmuggling activities, he said.<\/p>\n
Junus said that a syndicate smuggled cultural property to
\nBali, West Sumatra, Riau, Singapore and Germany.<\/p>\n
He reasoned that people were more concerned about the monetary
\nvalue of the cultural objects than they were about the need to
\nconserve them as a legacy for future generations.<\/p>\n
The government also faces difficulty in financing the
\nconservation of cultural sites and keeping their contents safe
\nfrom theft and smuggling, Junus said.<\/p>\n
The operation of a local syndicate is also so systematic that
\nit manages to evade police and government officials, he said.<\/p>\n
Another problem is the fact that the government may be unable
\nto claim cultural property traded overseas as Indonesia had yet
\nto ratify the 1970 convention on the Means of Prohibiting and
\nPreventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Cultural
\nProperty.<\/p>\n
\"In one case, a party in the U.S. did not want to return
\nIndonesian cultural property they bought from other people
\nbecause Indonesia had not ratified the convention on illicit
\ntrade in cultural property,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Therefore, Indonesia must always depend on other countries'
\ngenerosity to return any cultural property belonging to the
\nIndonesia, he said.<\/p>\n
A lot of Indonesian cultural property is taken to the
\nNetherlands, from where much of it has never been returned.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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