Bali propose four sites for world heritage status

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.