Controversy surrounds planned Borobudur concert

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.