Kings and sultans grouped under the Communication and Information Forum of Indonesian Palaces (FKIKN) have asked the central government and local administrations where their kingdoms and sultanates are located to respect and recognize their existence.



The call emerged during the three-day Indonesian Palace Festival (FKN) held in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), which ended on Tuesday.



Representatives from 42 kingdoms and sultanates from across Indonesia joined the ninth festival, which was opened by a parade of palace troops.



Speaking at the opening ceremony, FKIKN chairperson Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Kusmurtiah said that ancestors of the palaces, kingdoms and sultanates in Indonesia played vital roles in the establishment of the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia.



She regretted that after 69 years of independence, the roles of the palaces were ignored and set aside. 'This is very tragic,' she said.



She added that the kingdoms and sultanates could take part in the preservation of culture and local wisdom and at the same time strengthen national culture.



Article 18 of the 1945 Constitution, according to Kusmurtiah, supports their struggle for existence, as it stipulates that the state acknowledge indigenous administration units and recognize their rights.



'The FKN 9 is expected to come out with a declaration for a civilized Indonesia within the frame of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity),' she said.



Ruma Mari Siti Maryam, the daughter of Sultan Muhammad Salahuddin of the Bima Sultanate, said the presence of palaces, kingdoms and sultanates should be protected through a provincial-level bylaw. She added that she hoped the participants would propose a law to regulate the roles of kings and sultans.



The biennial FKN was first held in Surakarta, Central Java, in 1995. Since then, the 47 member palaces have continued to seek recognition by the central government, especially in the field of culture and tradition.



This year, the festival featured 700 participants representing 42 palaces, kingdoms and sultanates from across Indonesia.



A series of programs, including a sacred weapon exhibition, a fashion exhibition, art performances and seminars were on hand during the event, which was centered at the Asi Mbojo Museum ' the former venue of the Bima Sultanate.



Ruma said that the essence of the FKN was to underline that culture was not just a tourist attraction but embodied the essence of the values of the Indonesian nation.



'Many of the local wisdoms, values and the spirits of solidarity and empathy [among the people] have been fading away. As a result, horizontal conflicts occur everywhere, although the trigger is usually nothing worth fighting for,' she said.

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