Borobudur belongs to the world

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