Kebaya Will Become a Unesco Intangible Heritage Next Year

30 November 2022 01:22

Dozens of Indonesia's women groups that have been promoting kebaya, traditional blouse for women, agreed to go with other countries in the region, to register the traditional dress as the world's intangible heritage to Unesco.

Last week, four southeast asian countries, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam and Thailand have annouced their participation in muti-national nomination for kebaya, as one of items of world's intangible cultural heritage from the ragion, to Unesco next year.

This announced has sparked hot debates among Indonesians, on why Indonesia did not participate in the effort, while in fact kebaya is also part of Indonesian women dress for a very long time. Therefore, on tuesday dozens of women groups gathered in central Jakarta to discuss this issue, and all groups representatives who attended the hybrid meeting agreed that Indonesia will join four other countries to nominate kebaya to Unesco.

Under the spirit of one asean community, as well as Indonesia's foreign policy that has urged all countries to promote collaboration rather than competiveness, those groups hope that Indonesia also can contribute to enrich global humanity culturally, by join the multi-national nomination of kebaya with Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam and Thailand.