CULTURAL CONFLICT AND RESOLUTION BETWEEN INDONESIA AND MALAYSIA: THE GOVERNMENT EFFORT TO RESPOND BATIK CLIMED BY MALAYSIA IN 2009

Abstract

Indonesia and Malaysia are two countries coming from similar roots, but frequently experience disputes regarding cultural products. Malaysia, in their official cultural site www.malaysia-trulyasia.com claimed several Indonesian cultural products as theirs. The disputes between the two countries are making the relationship deteriorate, considering that there was not just once or twice, the Malaysian claimed Indonesian cultural products, including batik. The claim on Indonesian batik was caused by the negligence of the government in establishing the law regulating the Copyright of National Cultural Heritage especially in "Intangible Cultural Heritage". The government needs to regulate and review the Law of Copyright on folklore so that it can function optionally to protect the folklore and to prevent any cultural product claim in the future. Indonesia went through mediation to solve the matter of batik claim, by registering batik as intangible cultural heritage to the UNESCO. By collecting documents related with batik, whether regulations, stories and documents of batik handcrafting.