SPAFA THE REGIONAL CENTRE FOR ARCHAEOLOGY AND FINE ARTS OF THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN MINISTERS OF EDUCATION ORGANIZATION SPAFA OBJECTIVES TO PROMOTE THE AWARENESS AND APPRECIATION OF THE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN COUNTRIES THROUGH THE PRESERVATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS AS WELL AS THE TRADITIONAL ARTS. TO HELP ENRICH CULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN THE REGION. TO STRENGHTEN PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE IN THE FIELDS OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND FINE ARTS THROUGH SHARING OF RESOURCES AND EXPERIENCES ON A REGIONAL BASIS. TO PROMOTE BETTER UNDERSTANDING AMONG THE COUNTRIES OF SOUTHEAST ASIA THROUGH JOINT PROGRAMMES IN ARCHAEOLOGY AND FINE ARTS. THE SPAFA JOURNAL THE SPAFA JOURNAL IS A MEDIUM FOR THE VIEWS, RESEARCH FINDINGS AND EVALUATIONS OF SCHOLARS, RESEARCHERS AND CREATIVE THINKERS IN BOTH REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL FORUMS ON SOUTHEAST ASIAN ARCHAEOLOGY, PERFORMING ARTS, VISUAL ARTS AND CULTURAL-RELATED ACIIVITIES. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS JOURNAL ARE THOSE OF THE CONTRIBUTORS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF SPAFA. SPAFA JOURNAL VOLUME TWO NUMBER TWO 1 EDITORIAL BOARD PROFESSOR M.C. SUBHADRADIS DISKUL, CHAIRMAN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DR. CHUA SOO PONG MR. PISIT CHAROENWONGSA MR. ELMAR B. INGLES PROFESSOR KHUNYING MAENMAS CHAVALIT STAFF EDITOR EDITORIAL SERVICES PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES SACHA JOTISALIKORN SOPA CHAMNONGRASAMI RUANGCHAI RUANGPAISARN FOR CONTRIBUTIONS FROM READERS MANUSCRIPTS SHOULD NOT EXCEED TWENTY TYPEWRITTEN DOUBLE-SPACED PAGES. RELATED PHOTOGRAPHS OR ILLUSTRATIONS AND A BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL PARAGRAPH DESCRIBING EACH AUTHOR'S CURRENT AFFILIATION AND RESEARCH INTERESTS SHOULD ACCOMPANY THE MANUSCRIPT. RATES PER ISSUE: US $6/BAHT 150 ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: US $24 (SURFACE MAIL), US $27 (AIR MAIL) US $19/BAHT 465 (WITHIN THAILAND) CONTACT: SPAFA REGIONAL CENTRE, SPAFA BUILDING, 81/1 SRI AYUTTHAYA ROAD, SAMSEN THEVES, BANGKOK 10300, THAILAND. TEL. (662) 280-4022-29 FAX (662) 28CM030 THE SPAFA JOURNAL IS PUBLISHED BY THE SPAFA REGIONAL CENTRE 2 SPAFA JOURNAL VOLUME TWO NUMBER TWO SPAFA JOURNAL Volume 2 Number 2 May-August, 1992 ISSN 0858-1975 FEATURES ARCHAEOLOGY When Should Laws and Ethics Be Applied to the Management of the World's Cultural Heritage? BY PISIT CHAROENWONGSA Management Objectives for Southeast Asian Archaeology 10 BY WILFREDO P. RONQUILLO VISUAL ARTS Status of Malaysian Handicrafts in Social-Cultural and Economic Development 16 AND CRAFTS BY ALIAS YUSSOF AND KAMARUL BAHARIN A. KASIM Symbolism in Textiles An Inter-Cultural Experience 20 BY SAVITRI SUWANSATH1T PERFORMING ARTS T h e Differences Between Valmiki's Ramayana and the Thai Version of Ramayana (Ramakirti) of King Rama I of Thailand (1782-1809) 27 BY PROFESSOR MC SUBHADRADIS DISKUL Korean Performing Arts in 1992 An Impression 35 BY ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DR. CHUA SCO PONG Niew: Chinese Opera in Bangkok 41 PHOTOGRAPHS BY RUANGCHAI RUANGPAISARN DEPARTMENTS SPAFA Affairs 50 Bookmark 55 COVER 'NIEW' CHINESE OPERA ARTISTE, BANGKOK. PHOTOGRAPH BY RUANGCHAI RUANGPAISARN SPAFA JOURNAL VOLUME TWO NUMBER TWO 3 When Should Laws and Ethics Be Applied to the Management of the World's Cultural Heritage? BY Pisit CHAROENWONGSA PAPER FOR THE REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON THE CONVENTION ON THE MEANS OF PROHIBITING AND PREVENTING THE ILLICIT IMPORT, EXPORT AND TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP OF CULTURAL PROPERTY JOMTIEN, THAILAND, 24-28 FEBRUARY 1992 4 SPAFA JOURNAL VOLUME TWO NUMBER TWO In my involvement for over the last agreements on the illicit antiquities world. Soon it may be necessary for two decades with anti-looting and trade, Asians, Africans and Latin Americans ethics of collecting issues, I have to go to Europe or North America to written editorials in the Silpakorn b. Bringing pressure to bear on see ancient cities, to observe ancient Journal of the Fine Arts Department nations and museums that continue art, and to see traditional cultures and a number of papers. In them I to act unethically or illegally with that are still fertile and alive. have urged cultural managers, law respect to the acquisition of looted enforcement personnel and academics and smuggled antiquities, and The solution is not just to create in the fields of art and archaeology more government-run cultural to think more of the ethics, and c. Promoting bilateral exchanges of institutes that will sponsor a little intent of protective laws, than just cultural materials. traditional music and literature, and the laws. On one occasion I was design a few more 'traditional' appointed representative of the Thai buildings that resemble giant Government to testify in the public MEANS FOR HARMONIZING ECONOMIC peasant's houses made of reinforced hearing before the Chicago City DEVELOPMENT AND CULTURAL HERITAGE concrete. Instead, it is necessary to Council on October 25, 1988, for the PRESERVATION raise general cultural consciousness return of the Phanom Rung lintel. In the developing nations of the among a nation's people. Public and My testimony is shown in Appendix world, the damage caused by private enterprises should be urged A. fixations on economic factors to the to preserve historic buildings and exclusion of environment and sites even when this will I would like also to be recorded here cultural factors is often very great. By inconvenience them. Individuals as an admirer and supporter of this now, most nations give lip service to should be restrained from destroying Convention. In Appendix B is an protecting the natural environment. or looting monuments, even when on unsent letter of acceptance I drafted Yet many seem to be aware that private land. Efforts should be made in 1988 for the department's their cultural environment is of equal to promote the popularity of consideration. importance, and equally in danger. genuinely traditional art, as well as Examples exist, in Asia and works that represent a valid synthesis In this paper, however, I would like elsewhere, of nations that have given of the traditional and modem. Artists to present my views on two issues in cultural preservation such a low should be trained to know the connection with the management and priority that they have become difference between a valid and preservation of cultural resources. virtually cultural deserts: sterile invalid synthesis. The world already The following text is based on my assemblages of modern structures in has too many Asian ox-carts painted suggestions to the Thai team on their 'international' style, with citizens in the style of Van Gogh. request to bring to the attention of wearing international clothing and the meeting at the 79th the artists among them producing Interparliamentary Council in second-rate, derivative 'international' MEANS FOR BRINGING UNDER CONTROL Guatemala City, some rime in 1988. art. Such nations have no THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ILLICIT consciousness of history or roots in ANTIQUITIES the past; their cultural environment 1. Means for ensuring that economic The illegal excavation and export of resembles that of a gigantic airport. development does not endanger the ancient art objects is only one of the cultural heritage of developing many problems faced by nations nations. Not all nations follow this road. But wishing to preserve their cultural the situation is rapidly getting worse. heritage. Domestic markets for 2. Means for bringing under control As of today, any one of several looted antiquities are often even the international trade in antiquities, western European countries contains more active than the international by: as many truly old buildings as do antiquities trade, which is a serious a. Strengthening existing international entire continents in the developing problem nonetheless. It causes the SPAFA JOURNAL VOLUME TWO NUMBER TWO 5 destruction of many important antiquity-importing nations should be ratified the UNESCO Convention historic monuments. And it is a persuaded to ratify it as soon as could be made ineligible to receive symbol of exploitation of the poor by possible. Museums and other cultural such exhibitions. And museums the rich and of arrogant disregard for institutions in importing nations known to be active in acquiring illicit the rights of the peoples of the should be urged to stop acquiring antiquities should not be allowed to developing world. As such, the antiquities that are illicitly exported host those exhibitions. international trade in illicit antiquities or illegally excavated. It is not must be stopped. enough for those institutions to say The most practical way of "We need proof that these objects implementing this suggestion would Three methods for stopping it may were illicitly exported." Virtually all be through formal or informal be suggested: objects in certain categories are of agreements at the ministerial level illicit status from the point of view of among antiquity-exporting nations. A. The relevant international the exporting country. Before No treaties or other binding agreements must be strengthened. acquiring such objects, the institutions documents would be needed. It The existing UNESCO Convention on should say, "We need proof that would be sufficient for officials in Cultural Property is badly nation 'A' to be able to contact compromised by Article 7, which officials in nation 'B' requesting that contains the strange provision that given exhibition not be loaned to a nations from which objects have been particular museum in nation 'C until stolen must pay "compensation" at that museum has agreed to begin market value in order to get those adopting an ethical attitude toward objects back. Either Article 7