Indonesian-N.Z. Assn. Aims At Friendship

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31167, 17 September 1966, Page 22

Indonesian-N.Z. Assn. Aims At Friendship

“Through the New ZealandIndonesian Association, Indonesians and New Zealanders will get to know and understand each other, not only on a government-to-govern-ment basis, but also as people-to-people,” said the Cultural Affairs Attache at the Indonesian Embassy in Australia (Mr A. Marsaban) in Christchurch.

Mr Barsaban was speaking at the first meeting of the association. It is similar to societies already formed in Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin, and the aim is to promote friendship and understanding between the people of New Zealand and the people of Indonesia.

“There is an Australian-In-donesian Association in most of the Australian cities,” said Mr Marsaban, “and I am very glad to see that the link has been made in New Zealand as well. It is necessary more for New Zealand than for Indonesia because Indonesia is on the crossroads for the world traffic, but New Zealand is only on the sideline. “This society will also give

Indonesians an opportunity to present their culture to New Zealanders,” he said. “Although Indonesia is a new republic, it is an old country and the culture is on the highest level. Elements of foreign culture which have been introduced to Indonesia, have blended well with the traditional culture, such as shadow plays which are still popular in western and central Java.

“Indonesia has encouraged the development of the regional culture to the highest degree so as to make the culture of the regions the culture of the present Indonesia," he said. Two films, one on Indonesia, and one on Karapan, a popular social sport on the Island of Madura, a few miles east of Java, were shown. Officers elected were: President, Mr A. Cargo; secretary, Miss L. Murad; treasurer, Mr A. Robeau; committee, Miss L. Coleman, and Messrs W. Schwager, J. Maindonald, and A. Duliur.