Joop Ave launches 'Indonesian Heritage'

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave yesterday launched the first two volumes of Indonesian Heritage, a series of thematic encyclopedia publications on the country's natural and cultural heritage.

"They make for very beautiful reading as well as useful references for Indonesia," Joop said.

In a simple ceremony at Joop's office, the first two volumes, Ancient History and The Human Environment, were presented by the minister to the Ministry of Social Services, the National Library and the embassies of France, the Netherlands, Britain, Singapore and Australia.

Indonesian Heritage will consist of 11 volumes prepared by 200 domestic and overseas experts over a two-and-half-year period.

The publisher, Didier Millet, said that three more volumes -- Early Modern Environment, Plants of Indonesia and Wildlife of Indonesia -- would be published in July.

The six coming volumes will be called Architecture, Art, Seas, Religion and Ritual, Performing Arts and Language and Literature.

Each of the books is illustrated in full color with photographs, illustrations, maps, diagrams and images.

Sitting on the Indonesian Heritage editorial advisory board are Haryati Soebadio, former Minister of Social Services, Soedarmadji Damais, Paul Sochaczeski, John Miksic and Joop Ave.

The volumes aim to inform and educate while providing the reader with an overview of one of the world's largest nations.

"Few people outside the region know much about this country and its fascinating cultures and biological diversity," one volume begins. (icn)