Unesco to Present Certificate to Recognize Babad Diponegoro

Mataram, W Nusa Tenggara, March 20 (Antara) - The UNESCO will soon present a certificate of recognition to Babad Diponegoro (the Autobiographical Chronicle of Prince Diponegoro) as the Memory of the World, according to the National Library`s First Secretary Dedi Junaedi.

"The recognition certificate has been won at the Asia-Pacific level and we are now waiting for the presentation of the certificate," Junaedi said here Thursday.

He was in Mataram on a working visit to introduce the Government Regulation No. 24, Year 2014, on Implementation of Law No. 43, Year 2007, on Library.

The National Library plans to hold a seminar to celebrate the inclusion of Babad Diponegoro`s documentary heritage in the UNESCO`s World Memory Register.

Babad Diponegoro, or the Autobiographical Chronicle of Prince Diponegoro, is a poetic masterpiece written by Prince Diponegoro who was not just a national hero but also a genius, Javanese mystic, pious Muslim, and the leader of the "Holy War" against the Dutch in Java between 1825 and 1830.

The UNESCO also recognized Babad Diponegoro with the inscription of Nagarakretagama during the 11th Session of the International Advisory Committee for the Memory of the World Program of the UNESCO in Gwangju Metropolitan City, South Korea, on June 18-21, 2013.

"The world has recognized Babad Negarakertagama and Babad Diponegoro for their contents that describe the governance and state administration of ancient years written by our ancestors," he explained.

He called on the NTB public to contact the National Library if they find any ancient manuscript that needs to be preserved. The government will compensate them if they hand over ancient manuscripts to the National Library.

"The compensation is not much, but we must protect our cultural and documentary heritages and prevent them from falling into the hands of neighboring countries," he stated. (*)