Paper short abstract:

This paper reviews the contemporary cultural heritage management (CHM) in Malaysia with a special focus on the prehistoric sites of Lenggong Valley. It reveals that the social voices are underrepresented in the local CHM planning and highlights a need to rethink the old CHM approaches in Malaysia.

Paper long abstract:

This paper reviews the contemporary cultural heritage management system in Malaysia with a special focus on three prehistoric archaeological cave sites - Gua Gunung Runtuh, Gua Kajang and Gua Harimau - that form part of the Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley, which is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This study reveals that the contemporary conservation and management of the Lenggong Valley tends only to emphasize the archaeological or scientific heritage values of the area. Other heritage values, as outlined in the internationally recognised ICOMOS Burra Charter, are held by the local community but are underrepresented in the heritage interpretation of the valley. Investigations into recent use of the caves surprisingly show that the local community associated these caves with several important social and historical episodes and that these caves are still being used by members of the local community on a daily basis. The discrepancies between how local stakeholders, and professionals and other officials perceive the Lenggong's heritage values reflects the domination by professional groups of the cultural heritage assessment process in Malaysia. This highlights a need to rethink the old heritage management approach and for a greater recognition of the social significance of the Lenggong Valley.

Paper short abstract:

Application of management in Archaeology and Heritage preservation ensures the correct and scientific coordination among the local population for their different phases of development. It has played a significant role in spreading awareness about the possible ill-effects.

Paper long abstract:

Archaeology is the written record of structure made by contemporary people through construction and architecture. Across the large part of Southeast Asia, Archaeology (Historical Archaeology, Underwater Archaeology, Salvage Archaeology, Urban Archaeology, Public archaeology) has become a major force of social, economic and cultural change. Appropriate Heritage Management for the complex and vast archaeological landscape of Southeast Asia requires new approaches for solving different issues including development of unexplored sites. This is particularly the case when we highlight the ways in which it transforms the lives of local residents in both economic & cultural terms. Conventional wisdom concerning the relationship between archaeological heritage preservation and management development has shifted dramatically over the last four decades. However, the challenges remain in the areas of proper planning and scientific management of the sites through well developed network for trade routes, eco-tourism, cultural and infrastructural development. With increasing pressure of Liberalization-Privatization-Globalization (LPG), application of management in archaeological heritages requires assessment to protect the interest of local residents. This paper also tries to explore what the local people want for their development.

Paper short abstract:

This paper reviews the state’s role in protecting archaeology and its relationship with the overall economic situation of the country with particular reference to Southeast Asia. It also highlights on the impact of the economic crisis on the structural inefficiencies in various areas of archaeology.

Paper long abstract:

Archaeology is the study of human antiquities. Knowledge about archaeology and archaeological sites add to the expertise of the tourism professionals. Tourism comprises an extensive range of economic activities and can be considered as the largest industry in the world. They treat archaeological heritage as merchandise or a service within the overall framework of the free market economy and ensure quality control. However, the protective measures such as preventive or rescue archaeology, are provided by the community of citizens, as expressed through the state, its laws, regulations and policy guidance. It's the state's role to acknowledge that archaeological remains need to be studied prior to their destruction. The scale and scope of the preventive measures are largely dependent on the overall economic situation in the country, in particular the housing construction sector, the real estate market and the state-funded infrastructure. This paper is a humble attempt to review the scope of rescue and preventive works and its relationship with the overall economic situation of the state with particular reference to Southeast Asia. It also highlights on the impact of the economic crisis and its consequences upon structural inefficiency of legal and practical solutions in various areas of archaeology. There have been varied crises throughout human history: natural disasters such as earthquakes, flash floods or droughts, or human-created famines, epidemics, and wars which have left tangible traces in the archaeological record, subject to much research and numerous interpretations. Economic crises for their part are probably more difficult to identify in the record.

Paper short abstract:

The study encompasses the positive effects and possible threats of cultural tourism in Angkor.

Paper long abstract:

Cambodia , a culturally significant country in South-East Asia draws the attention of several tourists for its ancient culture and heritage. It is well-known for the ancient civilization of Khmer centered in Angkor. Angkor has thus been a unique icon of this ancient civilization and the Cambodian nation as a whole. In the year 1992 Angkor Archaeological Park, in Siem Reap, Cambodia, became a World Heritage Site. It was included on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The APSARA National Authority, monitored by the ICC-Angkor, took great initiatives in conserving the sites. These efforts finally lead to the removal of the property from the World Heritage List in danger in 2004. Since then Angkor and Siem reap have become a prime focus for cultural tourism. The region gets huge amount of tourists from different parts of the world. This has lead into greater visitor traffic than the cultural and physical infrastructure of the region can sustainably handle.

Angkor is thus witnessing the economic and social development to a certain extent along with a number of severe issues generating from such development. Cultural tourism has on one hand given a thrust for financial, social and economic development while on the other has brought about a threat for sustainability and heritage management in the region.

This paper aims to highlight the boons of cultural tourism and the major threats it poses for sustainable development and heritage management principles of the ancient sites of Angkor.

Paper short abstract:

The recovery of wrecks since 1985 resulted in the dispersal of archaeological material. Changing perceptions of the threats posed to underwater cultural heritage are raising the awareness of its historical significance. The establishment of ownership rights is a contested issue.

Paper long abstract:

In Indonesia, the number of wreck sites and their diversity is among the highest in the world. The recovery of the cargo of sunken ships during 1985-1999 resulted in the dispersal of the archaeological material within the international art market. Changing perceptions of the threats posed to underwater cultural heritage, as defined according to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage of 2001, are raising the awareness of its historical significance in Indonesia.

Various groups claim their property rights on these sunken objects. The focus on the establishment of ownership rights is only starting to be discussed in the Southeast Asian discourse. I therefore aim to explore the range of rights and obligations which allocate the variety of uses and benefits of shipwrecks in the present discussion. Apart from government bodies, there are other powerful stakeholders whose views must be taken into account, ranging from local and regional communities to international groups. I intend to explore these diverging approaches by focusing on shipwrecks recently found in Indonesian waters between 1998-2014.

In Indonesia, the central problem is diverging legal practices: on the one hand, the salvaged material is addressed as heritage which requires preservation and protection; on the other hand, it is treated as a marine resource allowing its consumption and economic exploitation. This diverging approach to cultural property is connected with the political agenda, ownership regulations and the free market.

Paper short abstract:

The paper considers current issues (environmental, socio-economic and cultural) in connection to the conservation of archaeological sites and rock art located in the Sankulirang-Mangkalihat Karstic range.

Paper long abstract:

The paper considers current issues (environmental, socio-economic and cultural) in connection to the conservation of archaeological sites located in the Sankulirang-Mangkalihat Karstic range. The local administrations of East Kutai and Berau Regencies and that of the Province of East Kalimantan in charge of conservation, have been directly involved in the management of few sites. They are preparing for the listing of the Karst area in Unesco's World Heritage Tentative List. Until now archaeological and anthropological research in the area has been supervised by the National Center of Archaeological Research (Pusat Arkeologi Nasional) based in Jakarta and its branch office in Banjarmasin (Balai Arkeologi). While the French-Indonesian Collaborative Research Programme has been active since 2011, but only a small percentage of the surveyed sites has been studied. The Lebbo'/Basap indigenous people who have been living for centuries (or more ?) in contact to the archaeological sites and the nearby caves, have not been involved officially in conservation or trained for these activities. However, the practice of 'indigenous conservation' which can be developed with benefits, remains to be implemented. Presently the local governements of the Regencies of East Kutai and Berau are increasingly concerned with the protection of the sites and of their touristic potential. On the other hand the infrastructures (roads, accommodation, museums…) are not ready yet to cater for an increase of visitors. The protection of the sites, mostly rock art in caves and rock shelters, should be evaluated accordingly.

Paper short abstract:

The applications of archaeological resource management values for preserving important cultural heritage sites in Lao PDR may provide dynamic methods on how to assess, document, consult over, and sustainably preserve archaeological sites for Lao PDR, local communities and the world.

Paper long abstract:

Unlike many first world countries that contain a long history of producing legislation for the preservation of archaeological sites, Lao PDR legislation for the preservation of cultural resources is fairly recent. Recent archaeological research in mainland Southeast Asia discovered important changes for human history in the region and researchers are now looking to Lao PDR for evidence of the emergence of agriculture and complex civilizations. With increasing pressure for economic development, including logging, hydroelectricity, mining, and tourism, stronger legislation and cultural values are needed to assess and protect cultural resources during salvage operations in Lao PDR. The applications of archaeological resource management values for preserving important cultural heritage sites in Lao PDR may provide dynamic methods on how to assess, document, consult over, and sustainably preserve archaeological sites for Lao PDR, local communities and the world. This paper explores cultural resource management values for application and practice in Lao PDR.