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ERICK THOHIR: I AM READY TO RETURN BOROBUDUR AS A BALANCED SPIRITUAL AREA

MINISTER of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir is ready to restore the sanctity of Borobudur Temple as a balanced spiritual area in order to preserve the temple and a spiritual and tourism icon for Indonesia.

“We are seriously working with all Buddhists to restore, of course, the sanctity of Borobudur itself as a spiritual area which is of course balanced with a mechanism of mutual respect whether from an educational perspective or from a balanced tourism perspective,” said Erick Thohir, in Jakarta, Thursday (5/25), 2023.

He also said the Ministry of BUMN made a breakthrough called zoning, so that later in Borobudur there will be a zoning for spirituality, then a zoning for tourists who want to create content or relax, but one and the other must respect each other.

“We have also made a breakthrough by presenting cultural officers, this is learning from Bali. These cultural officers are to maintain balance, we even cooperate with tourism schools around Borobudur so that they become part of the ecosystem,” he said again.

Erick said that BUMN will also regulate the system for how tourists visiting Borobudur are limited by digitalization so that there is no massive damage to Borobudur.

“This is an extraordinary legacy and the international community is worried about damage, so it is hoped that there will be restrictions,” he also said.

He said that an advanced Indonesia without cultural strength would feel empty, just like many tourist destinations in Indonesia if it was just a tourist destination it would feel empty.

Likewise, Borobudur, if it only becomes a tourist destination without any spiritual value then it will feel empty. Erick gave an example of how Bali is still an extraordinary tourist destination in Indonesia, because the Balinese people continue to maintain their culture.

“We will encourage direct discussions with the President and the ministers present under his leadership to complete the construction of Borobudur as a whole, so that this can become an icon not only of our nation’s spirituality, but also an icon of Indonesian tourism,” Erick Thohir concluded. [antaranews]