Joop Ave launches 'Indonesian Heritage'

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)