UNESCO to name batik as an Indonesian cultural heritage in May

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 01/06/2009 11:00 PM  

The government announced Tuesday UNESCO would soon name batik, Indonesia's traditional practice of dying cloth through wax resist methods, as an intangible cultural heritage. 

"According to plan, UNESCO will officially name batik as a cultural heritage in May this year," said Indroyono Soesilo, secretary to the coordinating minister for people's welfare, as quoted by state news agency Antara on Tuesday. 

Getting batik to be recognized by UNESCO had been a long and complex journey, Indroyono said. The Indonesian government had to produce extensive academic research on batik, he said, to make their case. 

"We must be grateful that the work of our ancestors will be acknowledged by the world," he said. 

So far, Indonesia has registered nine of its places and practices with the UN's educational, scientific and cultural guardian.  Two other cultural heritages are wayang puppetry and the kris.  World heritages sites include natural ones such as Komodo National Park, Tropical Rainforest of Sumatra, and historic sites such as the Borobudur and Prambanan temple compounds and the Sangiran Early Man archeological site. (and)