Cultural Heritage and Its Legal Protection in Indonesia Since the Dutch East Indies Government Period

The legal protection of cultural heritage in Indonesia had begun since the issuing of Monumenten Ordonnantie No. 19 year 1931. The Athens Charter, which has marked a milestone in global collaboration for heritage conservation protections, was published four months later after the issuance of MO. This paper discusses the historical outline of the legal aspects of the cultural heritage protection in Indonesia from the Dutch East Indies Government era until now. Also, it purposes to review the contents and scope of the heritage laws in every political period of Indonesia, as well as its relevancy with the international instruments issued within the same period. The study relied on a literature review and historical data from various sources on cultural heritage legislation in Indonesia. It highlights the aspect legislation of cultural heritage in Indonesia still have many loopholes and unparalleled to the global trend.