Bandung debates its heritage

BANDUNG: Members of the conservation group Bandung Heritage gathered at the city hall here on Tuesday to protest the demolition of the Lux Vicent building on Jl. Martadinata.

"It's one of many historical buildings along the street which were used as prisons during the Japanese occupation," group member Soewarno Darsoprajitno said.

The group also protested the way the city administration's one-stop service (Yantap) provided building or demolition permits without considering the historical legacy of the buildings in question.

Head of Yantap Cece Hidayat said the owner of the Lux Vicent had demolished the building before his office had issued any kind of permit.

While acknowledging the need to conserve historical buildings, Cece criticized the heritage group, saying that it ran a conservation campaign but failed to take into consideration or propose means for cash-strapped building owners to maintain their old and often run-down buildings.

Meanwhile, head of the Building Monitoring Agency, Engkos Hidajat, said there was no confirmation on whether the Lux Vicent was actually a historical building or not. (25/09)