Study on Sriwijaya

PALEMBANG, South Sumatra: South Sumatra Governor Ramli Hasan Basri said the Ancient Sriwijaya Kingdom Park, which will be inaugurated by President Soeharto this month, will become a center for research into the Hindu kingdom that once ruled Indonesia.

The site will be used for archeological work, Ramli said to reporters as he introduced the park on Saturday.

Archeological workers dug out a plaque dating back to the year 682 which said that the area was part of the Sriwijaya kingdom, according to Antara.

Historians are still debating over the precise location of the seat of the kingdom, trying to determine whether it is located in present-day Palembang in Jambi further north.

The 15-hectare park is located near the Musi River, where the local government has built three buildings, one of which is used as a museum. (emb)