From Recognition to Implementation: An Analysis of the Aceh Government’s Policy on the Utilization of Hikayat Aceh Following Its UNESCO Memory of the World Inscription
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63924/joas.v4i1.339Keywords:
Hikayat Aceh, Aceh Manuscripts, UNESCO Memory of the World, Cultural Policy, Policy ImplementationAbstract
The inscription of the Hikayat Aceh onto UNESCO’s Memory of the World (MoW) Register in 2023 represented a pivotal milestone for safeguarding Aceh’s documentary heritage; nevertheless, whether this global designation has catalyzed concrete regional policy remains questionable. This study evaluates the Aceh Government's policy response to the MoW inscription, pinpointing the disconnect between international prestige and subnational execution. Employing a qualitative research design, we analyzed regulatory frameworks alongside medium-term development plans and conducted semi-structured interviews with five core stakeholder groups: a government administrator, a philologist, a university researcher, a manuscript repository manager, and a private museum director. Grounded in George C. Edwards III’s framework of policy implementation, our analysis reveals that the primary bottleneck stems not from a lack of formal regulations, but from a fundamental misalignment between UNESCO’s recognition and regional strategic priorities. Provincial policy continues to subsume manuscript stewardship under generic cultural preservation, failing to formulate targeted initiatives spanning education, interdisciplinary research, systematic digitization, and public access. Empirical accounts confirm that subnational intervention remains sluggish, severely constrained by chronic institutional deficiencies and a dearth of qualified philologists. Consequently, historical manuscripts remain vulnerable to illicit trade and foreign acquisition. We conclude that UNESCO recognition currently operates as little more than symbolic and ceremonial capital. Absent an integrated policy architecture bridging preservation with active utilization, this international accolade risks becoming functionally obsolete for Aceh’s broader knowledge ecosystem.
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