VIVAnews - The government is optimistic that Indonesian batik will be internationally acknowledged by October 2009. At present, the process is still being carried out by an agency under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Director General of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises at the Department of Industry, Fauzi Aziz, said that the agency includes Turkey, Finland, Mexico, South Korea, Kenya and United Arab Emirates.
"[Those countries] will recommend whether or not the Indonesian batik is acknowledged a National Heritage by UNESCO," he said on Tuesday, Feb 10.
Aziz said that the countries do not have excellent knowledge on the world of batik. Therefore, the Department of Industry, Coordinating Ministry for People's Welfare, the Department of Culture and Tourism and Batik Community will continue lobbying the countries having the Directorate General of Multilateral at the Department of Foreign Affairs as the facilitator.
The government believed that on May 15, the agency will show a positive signal as well as guarantee that UNESCO will pass approval.
However, Aziz said the government should instead be responsible of preserving, protecting and maintaining the Indonesian batik. "If [batik] disappears one day, the world will jeer at us," he said.
With the acknowledgement, according to Aziz, batik industry will continue growing and contributing to the economy. Indeed, the acknowledgement is not part of property rights. However, batik artisans may feel secure in improving productivity and creativity.
A record showed that exports of Indonesian batik reached US$125 million per year.
Translated by: Bonardo Maulana Wahono
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