T

he government is planning to issue a ministerial decree on conservation-oriented development in response to the construction of a steel factory near the ancient Trowulan Majapahit Kingdom site, in Mojokerto, East Java.

'€œWe are still discussing the draft decree. Hopefully, we can issue it immediately as an addition to Law No. 11/2010,'€ Education and Culture Deputy Minister for Cultural Affairs Wiendu Nuryanti said on Monday.

Wiendu said that under the decree, all regional administrations would be required to consult the Ministry of Education and Culture '€” represented by provincial heritage conservation agencies '€” before issuing building permits for areas near heritage or archaeological sites.

'€œThe decree will be applied across all provinces,'€ she said.

Under the 2010 Cultural Heritage Law, regional administrations, in addition to protecting artifacts and structures, should ensure heritage sites are not damaged through negligence such as heavy industry.

'€œThe construction of a steel factory near the Trowulan site violated the Cultural Heritage Law and the Mojokerto spatial planning bylaw,'€ Catrini Pratihari Kubontubuh, executive director from the Indonesian Heritage Preservation
Foundation, said.

Catrini said that according to Mojokerto Regency Spatial Planning, any development in Trowulan sub-district '€” due to the Majapahit relics found there '€” should be focused on culture and tourism.

Contacted separately, culture activist and sculptor Supriyadi from Trowulan sub-district said that the public, archeologists and activists, had voiced protest over the construction of the steel factory and had signed a petition against the project.

'€œTrowulan is a historical site with remnants of the glorious Majapahit Kingdom. This site must be protected. The decision to allow the development of a steel factory nearby sets a precedent that other companies will want to follow,'€ he said.

Meanwhile, other artists from East Java province expressed concern through their art, creating performances that were critical of the local government'€™s abandonment of cultural and heritage sites.

'€œWe want the central government to immediately formulate regulations that outline the obligations of each provincial administration to protect and develop heritage sites [like these],'€ he said.

According to Supriyadi, the Mojokerto Regency administration issued the building permit for the steel plant four months ago.

The Mojokerto administration claims that the provincial heritage conservation agency recommended it to issue the permit to Manunggal Sentral Baja. The conservation agency, however, denied the recommendation and demanded the cessation of all construction works. (tam)