JAKARTA: Several precious artefacts, including a fragment of the head of a 10th-century Ganesha statue, were looted from the Bagawanta Bhari Museum in Kediri, East Java, during the anti-government protest in the regency over the weekend.
According to authorities, the 30-centimetre fragment of the Ganesha statue housed at the Bagawanta Bhari Museum was discovered by archaeologists in 2009 in Babadan village, Kediri, and is believed to be a remnant of the ancient Mataram Kingdom.
The ancient Mataram kingdom was a Javanese Hindu–Buddhist kingdom that flourished between the eighth and 10th centuries. It shared a name with the Mataram sultanate, another large kingdom on Java that lasted from the late 16th to the 18th century.
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Eko Priatno, head of the History and Archaeology Division at the Kediri Regency Tourism and Culture Agency (Disparbud), said that despite being only a fragment, the artefact held significant historical and cultural value for Indonesia.
“The discovery of the Ganesha head helped us identify the structure found in Babadan as a Hindu temple. It also serves as a symbol of historical tolerance, as a Buddhist statue was also found in the same area," he said on Tuesday, as quoted by Kompas.id.
Ganesha, the elephant-headed deity and symbol of wisdom and learning, is a highly revered figure in Hinduism.
According to Eko, in addition to the fragment of the Ganesha statue, rioters also stole four pieces of batik cloth featuring motifs unique to Kediri, and destroyed a miniature model of a traditional rice barn along with another statue on display at the museum.
“The batik was especially important because it served as the prototype for traditional Kediri attire,” he said.
The Kediri administration has distributed flyers in recent days, urging the public to return the stolen artefacts.
“We’re opening a channel for the safe return of the artefacts. We hope those who took them will return them soon,” Kediri Regent Hanindhito Himawan Pramana said on Monday.
A massive protest erupted in Kediri on Saturday and Sunday, following similar anti-government demonstrations across the country. Protesters set fire to and looted several key buildings in Kediri, including the Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) building, the Kediri regency administration office and several local police stations.
The Bagawanta Bhari Museum, located directly behind the DPRD building, was also ransacked by the crowd.
During the incident, museum authorities were able to evacuate only three artefacts: the 10th-century head of a Buddha (Bodhisattva) statue, considered the museum’s most valuable piece, and two inscribed bricks containing mantras that are still being studied by archaeologists.
The Kediri Police have arrested 123 people in connection with the weekend unrest, including junior and senior high school students, as well as several women.
“We are still investigating the role of each individual involved in the riots. If sufficient evidence is found, they will face criminal charges,” Kediri Police chief Sr. Adj. Comr. Bramastyo Priaji said on Sunday as quoted by Antaranews
The wave of rallies in Indonesia began early last week with protests at the Senayan legislative complex in Central Jakarta against House of Representatives members’ lavish allowances and perceived arrogance.
But tensions escalated after a police vehicle ran over and killed 21-year-old motorcycle taxi driver Affan Kurniawan in Jakarta on Thursday, sparking nationwide protests over police brutality.
According to the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), at least 10 people have died since the first protest broke out, some of whose deaths were allegedly due to violent acts by security forces during or after the demonstrations. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
