"In this conference, we would discuss steps to gain a better understanding on the need to protect underwater cultural heritage sites," Director UNESCO Office Jakarta Shahbaz Khan stated here on Tuesday.
The conference will be attended by delegates from 10 ASEAN countries, including Timor Leste.
"The conference will also be attended by experts from various countries such as Australia, Portugal, France, and others.
Experts from various disciplines, including law, history, and marine ecosystems, will take part in the conference.
"We want to protect the cultural heritage and create new business models for the region with tourism," he added.
The conference will provide recommendations on the protection of underwater cultural heritage to the government.
Meanwhile, Director of Cultural Heritage and Museum, Ministry of Education and Culture, Harry Widianto, remarked that the activities, jointly organized by the ASEAN Secretariat, the UNESCO Office Jakarta, and the Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia, were efforts to discuss the protection of underwater cultural heritage.
In Indonesia, the underwater cultural heritage sites are centered in the Malacca Strait, the waters around Makassar, Halmahera, and Maluku.
He pointed out that these sites should be protected. Therefore, the ministry cooperated with Police, Military, and the Maritime Security Coordinating Board (Bakorkamla) to safeguard the cultural heritage sites.
"The perpetrators of looting and destruction can be punished under the existence of Law number 11 of 2010 on cultural heritage sites," he concluded.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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