The bill of Culture Law (Rancangan Undang-Undang [RUU] Kebudayaan) can be traced back to 1982. In 2014, the bill was discussed again by the People’s Representative Council of Indonesia (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat [DPR]). At the time, the bill used the cultural preservation paradigm, which largely attempted to filter out foreign cultures and contained too many restrictions for the citizens. The interest of the industry was even slipped into one of the drafts, which asserted clove cigarette (kretek) as a cultural heritage needing protection.

Together with other stakeholders, Koalisi Seni had been actively advocating for the amendment to the bill since 2014 so as to create a paradigm shift, focusing on cultural advancement and positioning the government as a facilitator, instead of a naysayer. The advocacy was successful, and the Law on Advancement of Culture was enacted in 2017.

The Law on Advancement of Culture emphasizes the protection, promotion, development, and utilization of culture, using a bottom-up approach. To read more about this initiative, visit www.pemajuankebudayaan.id.

That being said, the advocacy is not over following the enactment of the Law. Koalisi Seni will always be keeping an eye on the implementation and the development of the derivative regulations.