Ambon, Maluku. In August, thousands of people from throughout the country and abroad will descend on Ambon for Sail Banda 2010, an international maritime event aimed at showcasing the beauty of eastern Indonesia.
But once they get there, visitors will find a number of the province’s historic sites, particularly on Saparua Island in Central Maluku, in poor condition.
“In the run-up to the international maritime event Sail Banda 2010, I call on the local committee to restore the historic sites on Saparua Island,” said Alex Litaay, a House of Representatives member from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) who is from Maluku.
He said on Friday the deserted historic sites on Saparua were in need of serious management to restore them and maintain them as valuable tourist attractions.
“I have a deep concern about the present condition of historic sites such as Fort Duurstede and the Pattimura diorama on Saparua because they are in deplorable condition and on the verge of total collapse,” Alex said.
He said the diorama of national hero Pattimura located in front of Fort Duurstede was without electricity so that visitors could not see the collection of items that once belonged to the Ambonese freedom fighter, also known as Thomas Matulessy, and other heroes.
“I plan to tour Saparua to check the current condition of all historic sites on the island and then report on it to Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu,” Alex said.
He said Fort Duurstede and the Pattimura diorama were the silent witnesses of the first battle between Maluku freedom fighters and Dutch colonial troops on Saparua in May 1817.
A spokeswoman for the Maluku Culture and Tourism Office, Florence Sahusilawane, agreed the historic sites on Saparua were in a state of neglect.
“It is true that the historic sites there are in critical condition, but the reason for this is the inadequate amount of funding allocated to have the sites renovated,” Florence said.
She said she had repeatedly asked Saparaua subdistrict head Ferry Siahaya to propose funds for the renovation of the historic sites, but the call seemed to have been ignored.
Sail Banda 2010 will be held from July 24 to Aug. 17, with the main event to be held on Aug. 3 in the city of Ambon. It will feature seven conferences and a yacht race from Darwin, Australia, as well as a display of ships from the Indonesian Army, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United States.
Antara
Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com
But once they get there, visitors will find a number of the province’s historic sites, particularly on Saparua Island in Central Maluku, in poor condition.
“In the run-up to the international maritime event Sail Banda 2010, I call on the local committee to restore the historic sites on Saparua Island,” said Alex Litaay, a House of Representatives member from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) who is from Maluku.
He said on Friday the deserted historic sites on Saparua were in need of serious management to restore them and maintain them as valuable tourist attractions.
“I have a deep concern about the present condition of historic sites such as Fort Duurstede and the Pattimura diorama on Saparua because they are in deplorable condition and on the verge of total collapse,” Alex said.
He said the diorama of national hero Pattimura located in front of Fort Duurstede was without electricity so that visitors could not see the collection of items that once belonged to the Ambonese freedom fighter, also known as Thomas Matulessy, and other heroes.
“I plan to tour Saparua to check the current condition of all historic sites on the island and then report on it to Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu,” Alex said.
He said Fort Duurstede and the Pattimura diorama were the silent witnesses of the first battle between Maluku freedom fighters and Dutch colonial troops on Saparua in May 1817.
A spokeswoman for the Maluku Culture and Tourism Office, Florence Sahusilawane, agreed the historic sites on Saparua were in a state of neglect.
“It is true that the historic sites there are in critical condition, but the reason for this is the inadequate amount of funding allocated to have the sites renovated,” Florence said.
She said she had repeatedly asked Saparaua subdistrict head Ferry Siahaya to propose funds for the renovation of the historic sites, but the call seemed to have been ignored.
Sail Banda 2010 will be held from July 24 to Aug. 17, with the main event to be held on Aug. 3 in the city of Ambon. It will feature seven conferences and a yacht race from Darwin, Australia, as well as a display of ships from the Indonesian Army, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United States.
Antara
Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com
