Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government is planning to build a museum dedicated to Papua`s woven bag, Noken, in Jayapura, the capital of Papua, in 2013, said a local official.

The education and culture ministry has been planning to build a museum since November 2011. The construction will start next year in Jayapura, said Apolos Marisan, the head of the Papua and West Papua cultural heritage preservation office, on Thursday.

The museum will be built either in the cultural park or near the Negeri Papua Museum at Expo-Waena.

The education and culture ministry held a group discussion on Wednesday, to increase the public`s awareness of Noken.

During the discussion, it was mentioned that Papua has 257 tribes and local languages, and it is estimated that there are about 257 types of Noken.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has recognised Noken as an intangible cultural heritage item of Indonesia`s eastern provinces of Papua and West Papua.

"At 10.30am (Paris time), UNESCO recognised Noken as an intangible cultural heritage item of the people living in Papua. The Indonesian delegates, including those from Papua, who were present at the meeting, are proud of Papua," said Wiendu Nuryanti, Deputy Minister of Education and Culture, on Tuesday (December 4).

"We are keen on working with several parties to promote Noken. There is a possibility that we may request Indonesian fashion designers to include Noken in their collection of fashion accessories," she stated.

(KR-BSR/F001)

Editor: Jafar M Sidik
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