Having Experienced Obstacles, The Government Completes The Requirements For Reog Ponorogo To Become A World Cultural Heritage To UNESCO

Reog dancers entertained the audience during the Reog Ponorogo Parade Cultural Festival in Madiun City, Tuesday, February 5, 2019. (ANTARA-Siswowidodo)

JAKARTA - The government has completed the requirements requested by UNESCO in the process of proposing Reog Ponorogo as an Intangible Cultural Heritage (WBTB).

The application previously experienced problems because it had to perfect a number of notes.

"We have resolved various kinds of obstacles, including the remaining requirements that were asked by UNESCO yesterday," said Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy in Jakarta, Thursday, August 24, confiscated by Antara.

Muhadjir explained that UNESCO asked the government, especially the Ponorogo Regency Government, to clarify the use of badminton and tiger skin used in this traditional art.

According to him, UNESCO suspects that the hair used for Reog Ponorogo is by slaughtering birds, including the use of tiger skin.

However, the Ponorogo Regency Government has provided an official clarification that the hair used is taken from loose hair. Because every three months,aurks experience mabung or molting, which is the process of changing their hair. The feathers taken come fromaurk farms in Ponorogo.

Meanwhile, the tiger skin used in Reog Ponorogo uses goat skin that has been shaped to resemble tiger skin. Currently, UNESCO has received the proposal file document, but it is still in the waiting list stage number 39.

"So actually we have fulfilled the demands of UNESCO, now we are just waiting for the waiting list. Hopefully, in the not too distant future, UNESCO can designate Reog Ponorogo as an intangible cultural heritage," said Muhadjir.

Regarding the issue that Reog Ponorogo claimed Malaysia, Muhadjir confirmed that the issue had been resolved. The Malaysian government has no intention of registering Reog Ponorogo with UNESCO.

"There is a Reog association and there are a lot of them. But if Malaysia proposes together it can, but Malaysia does not want to propose Reog Ponorogo as a cultural heritage of non-body either alone or collaboration. Everything is clear," he said.

According to him, the Government continues to record the creation of national culture so that it can be designated as another Intangible Cultural Heritage as protection against the treasures of the archipelago culture.

"We are excited to propose not only to be recognized as a national level cultural heritage but to become a world cultural heritage to secure the creation of the nation's children so that they are not recognized by other countries," he said.