Festival to oppose Borobudur Int'l Festival

YOGYAKARTA: The Borobudur International Festival kicks off today and but will face competition in the form of an alternative festival being organized by people living i the foothills of the five mountains located in the vicinity of Borobudur Temple.

People living near and on the slopes of Mount Merapi, Mount Merbabu, Mount Sumbing, Mount Andong and Mount Menoreh are set to hold the Five Mountains Festival at Warangan village at the foot of Mount Merbabu on June 15.

Artists and activists had earlier said they would also stage a "Borobudur Alternative" at the Langgeng gallery and studio in Magelang, Central Java, as well as the Kampong Festival in the Borobudur Temple parking lot from June 12 to June 27.

The Five Mountains Festival will be marked by a wayang suket (straw puppet) performance by Ki Slamet Gundono, a speech on cultural matters by activist Wardah Hafidz, and performances by 50 foreign participants.

The Borobudur International Festival is being opposed by artists, cultural activists and locals. It will be officially opened by President Megawati Soekarnoputri on June 14. The opening ceremony will include a performance by the Kinarya GSP dance troupe, directed by the president's brother, Guruh Soekarnoputra. -- JP