batikkita.com

UNESCO is to announce its recognition of batik as a unique hallmark of Indonesian heritage at a meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held this week in Abu Dhabi. This recognition is expected to be declared today, Oct. 2, and President Susilo Yudhoyono of Indonesia has long prepared a warm welcome for this, appealing to Indonesia’s 235 million-strong population to wear batik today as a sign of support for Indonesian culture.

Larasati Suliantoro, a leading batik activist, told an Indonesian newspaper in June, “It’s our responsibility to encourage a reawakening to real batik.” Another activist, Gaura Mancacaritadipura, underlined the Indonesian sense of batik culture’s belonging by saying that it has been part of Indonesian people’s lives for centuries. “As an example, for hundreds of years, batik has been a part of the labuhan ritual, the tradition of throwing one’s troubles into the sea in materials that sail away,” he said.
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