East Java Artist Requests Moeldoko's Help To Accelerate Submission Of Reog Ponorogo As A World Intangible Heritage To UNESCO

Presidential Chief of Staff (KSP) Moeldoko. (Photo: Doc. KSP)

JAKARTA - The Presidential Chief of Staff, Moeldoko, was asked for his assistance in accelerating the submission of Reog Ponorogo as a world intangible cultural heritage (WBTB) to UNESCO. This request was made by a number of East Javanese artists who met Moeldoko in Ponorogo, Saturday, June 11.

Currently, the Cultural Team of Deputy II of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) has coordinated with the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture and the Ministry of Education and Culture to ensure that the administrative requirements for submitting Reog Ponorogo to UNESCO have been met.

If the administrative process has been fulfilled, it will then be examined by the UNESCO Committee for encryption.

"I appreciate fellow artists. Your presence has become a glue for the Etanan artist community (East Javan artists). I am also happy because we have the same passion regarding Reog Ponorogo," said Moeldoko at the Ponorogo Regent's Office, as quoted by Antara.

"I hope that the Etanan artist community will become a new entity capable of turning dormant potential into strength. If there is an inappropriate government policy, the Etanan artist will speak up," he continued.

Topan, a ketoprak artist, said that currently the Etanan artists hope that the government supports the preservation of traditional arts and ensures the welfare of the artists.

"We are here to provide support to Reog artists. Artists support artists. But it should also be noted that we need government support, for example to preserve ludruk art, ketoprak, and other arts whose presence is not widely known," said Topan.

"As people who know the culture and traditional arts in East Java, we think Mr. Moeldoko can be a father figure for the artist Etanan. A father figure who can continue to encourage us," he continued.