ABSTRACT
This research is aimed to discuss about whether and how UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguard Convention (ICHS Convention) might be compatible to justify the import restriction policy of batik and printed batik TPT in Indonesia 2015. Republic of Indonesia’s Ministry of Trade launched import bureaucratization policy to restrict ‘textile and textile product’ (TPT) of batik and printed batik through Permendag (Trade Minister Regulation) No. 53 Year 2015. Its economic purpose is to protect local batik and printed batik industry, due to the explossive imported batik to Indonesian textile market, especially from China. In addition, another purpose is to safeguard batik as a cultural heritage. Therefore, Indonesian government applied ICHS Convention, which legally regulated Indonesian batik as world cultural heritage, as its policy’s justification means.
In my findings, imported ‘batik and printed batik TPT’ are not Indonesian batik’s like product. It makes the justification sourced from ICHS Convention potentially weak to be applied and difficult to make sense. Moreover, the batik market is not threatened by imported batik.
The research was conducted in qualitative method, which emphasized constructivist aspect of international trade policy formulation. The researcher compared the ICHS Convention with WTO Agreement embodied in the import policy of batik and printed batik. The comparison of those regulations was supported with empirical data that has been conducted by doing documentation, literature study, and interview to related stakeholders.
From this research we know that ICHS Convention is weak to be used as its import policy’s economic justification. However, normatively, ICHS Convention has strong potential to justify batik products as Indonesia’s product which need to be protected in any aspect, including in the aspect of international trade for cultural products, especially in the field of creative economy and its Mark of Origin.
