Save Onrust Island from erosion, neglect: Historian

JAKARTA (JP): An historian urged the municipality yesterday to save Onrust Island in the Thousand Islands chain, north of Jakarta, by declaring it a cultural conservation area.

"The new governor should act soon to prevent Onrust Island from further destruction," Dirman Surachmat said, adding that a quarter of the island had already been lost to erosion.

The 12-hectare Onrust (which means "always busy" in Dutch) Island -- about 90 minutes by boat from Tanjung Priok Port -- has a collection of historical ruins, including a fort from the Dutch colonial era.

"There was a crisscrossing gubernatorial decree for land use on Onrust Island which eventually led to the island's desertion without any further assurances (about the island's preservation)," Dirman, the former head of the Jakarta Museum and Historical Agency, said.

Former governor Ali Sadikin issued a decree in 1972 declaring Onrust Island a restricted area and a cultural conservation area.

But 10 years later, then governor Tjokropranolo changed the decree on Onrust Island and declared it a tourist site. This change was the beginning of the end for the island, Dirman said.

"As it was declared a tourist site, many people visited the island, erected tents, had barbecues and explored the historical sites, sometimes taking home rocks or other artifacts."

Poor supervision by city officials meant visitors' activities went unnoticed, he said.

"People freely walked around historical sites and littered all over the place. It's really in a shabby condition.

"I'm asking the governor to change the decree and return Onrust's status to that of a cultural preservation area."

Onrust Island was used by Dutch merchants as a dock in 1615 before the arrival of Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC), the Dutch trading company, which dominated the region for the 350 years.

Archeologist Chandrian Attahiyyat said Onrust has a very important legacy because it was on this island that Dutch colonialism in the East Indies began.

Onrust Island was once used, early this century, as a quarantine center for Indonesians before and after the haj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

The island has been neglected since Indonesia's independence in 1945 but its destruction was completed in the 1960s when people from Java came and "grabbed everything they could lay their hands on", Chandrian said.

Since then Onrust has been "abandoned" and the ruins are so poorly preserved that visitors would not understand its function or historical significance without a clear explanation from guides, Dirman said.

"But the island does not have enough guides or officials," he said.

In order to find the best solution for the island's preservation, an on-site symposium will be held from Oct. 27 to Oct. 29.

Among the issues to be discussed are the historical, tourist, archeological and future aspects of the island.

"We hope the symposium, held by the city's museum agency, will come up with positive suggestions to be presented to the municipality," Dirman said

But he objected to a suggestion to reconstruct the island because it would damage the remaining ruins.

"The historical sites must be kept in their original form. There is no need to build a new building to recreate an ancient atmosphere. It would not be the same."

It would be better to build fences around the sites and provide enough guides to serve the visitors, he said.

"I hope after the symposium, the governor would consider saving this island." (07)