Controversy surrounds planned Borobudur concert

Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post/Magelang, Central Java

Borobudur Temple, perched imposingly in the Menoreh mountain range since the 8th century A.D., has never been problem-free.

Every time a new plan having to do with the temple is proposed, there will be debate. This includes plans to stage an orchestra concert, Message of Peace from one of the World's Wonders, at the temple on April 23.

The concert, organized by the Office of the State Minister for Culture and Tourism, in cooperation with the Central Java administration, was proposed to introduce the temple and several other tourist sites in Central Java to foreign tourists.

"This concert will demonstrate that Central Java is a peaceful and safe place for foreign tourists to visit. It is hoped, therefore, that foreign tourists will no longer be afraid to come here," said Agus Suryono, who heads the Central Java Tourism Office.

He said his office would invite representatives from foreign embassies in Jakarta to the concert. Concert tickets will also be made available to foreign tourists at prices ranging from Rp 200,000 to Rp 500,000.

Guntur, a member of the public relations division of PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko, said the concert would feature the Surya Orkestra from Semarang. Also expected to perform are well-known artists from Jakarta like Ruth Sahanaya, Edo Kondologit, Iyet Bustami, the Moluccas Trio, Katon Bagaskara, Nuggie and Tasya.

The concert venue will be Zone II of the temple, the site where the Borobudur International Festival and the commemoration of the Waisak Buddhist Holy Day are held.

According to the authorities in charge of the temple's conservation, holding events at Zone II does not pose a threat of damage to the temple from sound and lighting systems.

However, the holding of any large events at Borobudur Temple always draws criticism from the public, artists and Borobudur observers. This latest concert is no different.

Sutanto Mendut, a Borobudur observer, said the concert was no more than a commercial venture.

"The temple has been famous internationally for many years. Why hold this concert? The provincial administration's argument that it wants to promote the temple is a false reason."

He said closer scrutiny would show the concert is simply a money-making project by an event organizer, with the approval of the government.

This is a ploy by people in the central government, he said, adding that locals would gain nothing from the event.

He said that because Borobudur Temple was built on a hill, it was vulnerable to vibrations, such as those from a powerful sound system.

"Concerts are held in soundproof halls to ensure that only the sounds from the musical instruments are heard, even without a sound system. If a concert is held in front of Borobudur Temple, the sounds from the concert will only be audible if a powerful sound system is used," Sutanto said.

"The use of a very powerful sound system will damage the stones of the temple. It may be difficult to locate this damage, which can take place among the millions of stones inside the temple. This concert will be the same as any other commercial activity, such as the launch of a new BMW car, being held at the temple," he said.

Sucoro, a vendor who also runs the Jagad Cleguk information stall, voiced similar objections. He said a musical concert would destroy the aura of the sacred temple, which is a spiritual and cultural monument.

"Public activities in Zone II do not help the sacredness and conservation of the temple. It would be better to stage the concert in a field so the public could also enjoy it," he said.

He said the organizer of the concert was like any other vendor selling goods in front of Borobudur Temple, except the organizer could expect to make quite a bit more money.

"It must be noted, though, that vendors are not allowed to sell their goods in Zone II, but now a concert is being allowed to be held there. This is not fair. The government is not consistent with its own regulations," Sucoro said.

He also questioned the entertainment value of the concert, especially for local residents. "We would have to sell our goats first to be able to buy a ticket and watch the performance."

Meanwhile, a group of women activists and a number of other organizations plan to stage a rival event on April 23 at Studio Mendut, located near Mendut Temple some two kilometers from Borobudur.

In addition to cultural performances, the activists will "cremate" a Buddhist statue as a symbol of self-purification and to protest the "ongoing harassment of their cultural heritage".

The controversy surrounding the planned concert at Borobudur Temple is not the first of its kind. With so many parties having different interests in this Buddhist Temple, a legacy of the Syailendra Dynasty, it creates major problems for the Borobudur management.

Last year, for example, there were disagreements over the Borobudur International Festival, the Java Cosmos Art Market and the presence of a Buddhist education and training center in Ngaran village. Borobudur Temple is indeed always awake and alive with controversy.