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SAID has announced it has provided US$100,000 to UNESCO to rehabilitate the Borobudur temple compound in the aftermath of the recent Mount Merapi eruptions as part of the US-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership. USAID will provide support for the cleanup, including retention of a large local workforce and equipment for the cleaning operation. The Comprehensive Partnership was critical to the bilateral relationship and is based on the shared values of freedom, pluralism, tolerance, democracy and respect for human rights, USAID said.

The Borobudur temple was temporarily closed to visitors late last year when concern about the long-term effects of ash on the monument emerged. “The support we are providing will help build the livelihoods of affected local communities through their involvement in the rehabilitation of the cultural tourism sector, which is critical to the area’s economy,” USAID mission director Walter North said. — JP