Borobudur belongs to the world

I have just returned from my now annual holiday in Yogyakarta with my (Indonesian) family. As always, we enjoyed the historical and cultural aspects of the city. Another reason for our visits is that the area is rich in spirituality. Unfortunately, our visit this time was severely marred by the materialism at one of the world's greatest treasures, Borobudur.

I am not, however, referring to the hordes of hawkers with their cheap trinkets. These people, although often an intrusive nuisance, are merely trying to provide for their basic family needs. I am instead referring to the different entrance fees for Indonesian citizens and foreign tourists that have been in place for years.

These have regularly been a topic for letter writers to The Jakarta Post. For the previous eight visits I have shown my residence permit (KITAS) on the grounds that my length of stay - 12 years, and rupiah income as an English teacher, were an indication of my commitment to this country. Therefore, I feel I should not be subject to exploitation on the grounds of my skin color. We were appalled on this occasion to discover that there is now a 1,600 percent difference in the rates, i.e. Rp 2,500 for Indonesian residents and Rp 40,000 for others. I was refused entrance at the local rate, so I refused to enter. Was it racism or unadulterated greed that determined this policy? There can be no possible justification for either, especially at a holy place. Borobudur belongs to the world.

Indeed, it was the world, through the good offices of UNICEF, which financed its reconstruction. I call on the world, therefore, through local and international travel organizations and other interested parties, such as Indonesia's Buddhists, to demand an end to temporal practices at spiritual sites, if necessary through a temporary boycott. Furthermore, I hope that this letter will finally produce a reply from the management company of Borobudur and Prambanan, where a similar practice is in force.

TERRY COLLINS

Jakarta