81 ancient sites in C. Sulawesi neglected

81 ancient sites in C. Sulawesi neglected

PALU, Central Sulawesi: At least 81 of 120 ancient sites in Central Sulawesi province had been neglected since the implementation of the Regional Autonomy Law in 2000, said a local official on Friday.

"The provincial administration here is out of cash, and cannot afford to preserve all the ancient sites," said head of the Central Sulawesi culture and tourism office Liberty Pasaribu.

"The autonomy law forces us to manage all the ancient sites, but we don't have enough money to do so," he said.

He said the local government could only afford to provide Rp 5 million annually for 50 workers to preserve only 39 of the sites.

The 120 ancient sites together consist of 1,372 megalithic structures, including traditional houses, palaces and tombs. -- Antara