Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) - The abundance of Papua traditional art potential needs serious attention and a gentle touch of professional and skilled hands, Governor Barnabas Suebu said here on Monday.
Suebu said the skilled and professional people with distant future vision were encouraged to explore, to develop, and to save the plenteous Papua traditions and cultural arts from extinction.
"Not only that, the Papuan traditional arts really have precious market value, in addition to supporting the future tourism sector in the province without without omitting their specific characteristics," the governor said.
Suebu said from both written and electronic media he saw that various traditional arts from different ethnic communities such as in Java and Bali were developing enough in comparison from those of Papua.
But he was of the opinion that the progress of traditional arts from other provinces was because they were part of education at elementary schools until universities.
For example, the Papua governor pointed out that in Java and Bali there are Higher Education of the Arts in Surakarta (STSI Surakarta), and Bali Arts Institute.
"In Papua we are actually rich in our traditional arts but unfortunately we lack human resources to develop them, in spite of the fact that Asmat traditional sculptures have crossed the mountains and oceans to hit international markets," Governor Suebu said.
"Therefore it should be our common consideration and awareness as Papuan ethnic community to save our own cultural heritage," Suebu added.
Last Friday, the governor installed the new administrators and supervisors of Bina Seni Budaya Papua foundation, namely Septer Manufandu as chairman, and Dominggus Rumadas, Habelino Sawaki, and James Mayor as members.
Governor Suebu then called on them to understand and to implement their respective tasks well, and make a good cooperation among them in a bid to save the local culture and traditional arts from extinction.(*)