Jakarta (ANTARA) –
Indonesia’s Culture Minister Fadli Zon proposed cultural cooperation with Suriname to strengthen bilateral ties and preserve the historical heritage and cultural identity of the Indonesian diaspora there.
“We can work on nominating cultural heritage for UNESCO World Heritage status. We have explored nominating jaranan and could also propose Javanese script,” he said in a statement on Friday.
Fadli also outlined plans to activate the Indonesian Cultural House in Suriname, jointly nominate intangible cultural heritage and sign a cultural memorandum of understanding to provide a sustainable legal framework for bilateral cultural preservation.
During a dialogue on Thursday with Indonesia’s ambassador to Suriname, Agus Priono, Fadli said the two countries share cultural heritage because the Dutch colonial government sent indigenous contract laborers to Suriname.
He stressed the importance of preserving Indonesian cultural heritage in Suriname, in line with Article 32 of the 1945 Constitution, which mandates the state to advance national culture globally.
“Given the substantial Indonesian diaspora in Suriname, there is considerable potential to further develop and promote Indonesian culture there,” he said.
He also called for recognizing cultural figures who have promoted Indonesian culture in Suriname, including Paul Somohardjo, a Surinamese politician of Javanese descent.
He further proposed recognizing Javanese food stalls that promote Indonesian cuisine in Suriname.
Priono, for his part, welcomed Fadli’s commitment to cultural diplomacy with Suriname.
He said Javanese descendants make up only about 17 percent of Suriname’s population, yet Indonesian culture remains vibrant, from wayang, jaran kepang and ludruk to food stalls serving pecel and nasi rames.
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Translator: Sinta Ambarwati, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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