Speech by Mr Imron Cotan, Charge D'affaires A.I. On The Occasion Of The Official Presentation Of Gifts in Canberra, 14 December 2002

SPEECH BY MR IMRON COTAN, CHARGE D'AFFAIRES A.I
ON THE OCCASION OF THE OFFICIAL PRESENTATION OF GIFTS FROM
THE CENTRAL JAVANESE GOVERNMENT
14 DESEMBER 2002

        In the name of God the most compassionate and merciful,
        May peace be upon all of us,

        Ladies and Gentlemen,

        I would like to warmly welcome you to this gathering to formally acknowledge three gifts from the Central Javanese Government to the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra. These three gifts are a complete gamelan set, a complete wayang kulit and a miniature of Borobudur temple.

        These gifts will be proudly displayed in our Embassy and will serve as a reminder of the generosity and kindness of the government of Central Java. The Gamelan and wayang sets will be housed in Balai Budaya, the Embassy's Cultural Centre. For your information, this centre is open to the Australian public, and since its refurbishment earlier this year, receives up to 300 school students each day. In 2002 alone, over 9000 Australian school students have visited Balai Budaya and have experienced the interactive facilitated programs developed by staff from the Education and Cultural Section. Part of this program involves the students performing a short wayang kulit play, in addition to learning about the gamelan. Their experience will surely be enhanced by these wonderful gifts.

        All members of the Embassy and I see these gifts as a magnificent avenue for enhancing intercultural relations. By being able to play "wayang kulit" and listen to the gentle echoes of each gamelan instrument, visitors to Balai Budaya are able to sample some, if not only a fraction, of Indonesian cultures. Furthermore, the miniature of Borobudur will enable students and other visitors to have a "bird's eye view" of one of the world's wonders. Ancient temples such as Borobudur do not exist in Australia, and this miniature is a gateway to understanding important religious and historical elements of Javanese civilisation.

        On behalf of all Embassy staff, I wish to extend my deepest gratitude for these gifts and can assure you that they will be enjoyed and appreciated by many in the years to come.

        Finally I would also like to thank the members of the Australia Indonesia Association for demonstrating the beauty of the gamelan for us this evening.

        Thank you and good evening.

        Imron Cotan
        Charge d'Affaires/Minister

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, Canberra - Australia