Bali propose four sites for world heritage status

Rita A. Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

The provincial government of Bali is proposing four cultural and natural sites for inclusion on the World Heritage list next year, following a furor over an earlier plan to include the Besakih mother temple as a World Cultural Heritage site.

The four selected sites are the Taman Ayun Temple and Water Park in Mengwi; the Pakerisan river area and archaeological site in Gianyar; the Jatiluwih Subak area (traditional Balinese farming and irrigation system) in Tabanan; and the Bali Barat National Park along the border between the regencies of Jembrana and Buleleng in northwest Bali.

In making the proposal on Monday to a visiting team of experts from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Deputy Governor Alit Putra said the four sites had a great deal of cultural and natural significance, and needed to be preserved for future generations.

"There has been some misunderstanding among the Balinese people over the term World Cultural Heritage, especially in regard to the Besakih temple," Alit said.

Late last year, State Minister for Culture and Tourism I Gede Ardika proposed the Besakih Hindu Temple in Karang Asem to be registered as a World Cultural Heritage site. Ardika's proposal sparked controversy and heated social, religious and political debate in Bali.

Many local leaders rejected the idea, viewing it as akin to selling their temple to UNESCO. Others were concerned that they would no longer be allowed to pray at the grand temple, which they said belongs to all Balinese Hindus.

"If an important site or temple in Bali is listed as a World Heritage site, it does not mean that the people of Bali will no longer be allowed to manage or visit the temple," explained Alit.

Despite the opposition, the provincial government established a special team to select a number of cultural and natural sites across Bali worthy of preservation and conservation.

Made Kusumawijaya, one of the team members, said the selected sites would be proposed to the Paris-based World Heritage Center, a body under UNESCO which is in charge of protecting and conserving cultural sites that have universal value.

The center has 175 member countries including Indonesia, which has six cultural and natural listed with the World Heritage Center, including the Borobudur Buddhist Temple, the Lorojonggrang Prambanan Hindu Temple and the Sangiran archaeological site, all in Central Java.

Three national parks -- Ujung Kulon in Banten province, Komodo National Park in East Nusa Tenggara and Lorentz National Park in Papua -- are also listed with the center.

"UNESCO would never interfere with the management or the usage of the listed World Heritage sites, be they dead or living monuments," said Made, who is the head of the archaeological office overseeing Bali, West and East Nusa Tenggara.

Ron Van Oers, a UNESCO expert, said an international team in Paris would review all of the selected sites in Bali and decide whether they would be listed with the center.

"There are some criteria including the state of authenticity, which should be met by each country," he explained.

Stephen Bond, another expert, added that UNESCO's team had made some preliminary evaluations of the four proposed sites and had made some suggestions to the Bali government.

Bond said the final proposal from the provincial government must be comprehensive. All social, cultural and religious elements, including Hindu cosmology, the concept of Tri Hita Karana, must be explained to illustrate the interconnectedness between each site and the surrounding people and environment.

"We have a lot of homework to do. The present proposals need to be revised before they are sent next December," Made said.