The Jabodetabek Reog Community sent an official letter to the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Davao, Philippines to request clarification of information on the burning of reog art tools by Indonesian Consulate General officials.
"We want to get an official and written explanation, because in the previous clarification the Indonesian Consulate General confirmed the news on the pretext that the art equipment in question was damaged," said Secretary General of the Reog Jabodetabek (Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi) associations, Agus Setiyoko, Monday ( 2/11).
Agus revealed the three points of the request for clarification that they submitted to the Indonesian Consulate General in Davao, Philippines.
First, to ask for an official and written explanation regarding the case of the reog art instrument burning by the Indonesian Consulate General in Davao, Philippines.
In addition to the written explanation, Agus continued, in the second point, his party also questioned the issue of spreading the news of the burning of the reog art instrument in a number of 'online' media which stated that the reason for the burning was because it was considered an idol.
The last point that is no less important, Agus continued, is a request to the Indonesian Embassy or the Indonesian Consulate General in Davao City, Philippines to publish or broadcast clarifications on the issue of burning reog art objects in a number of national media.
"We also demand that the Indonesian Consulate General or through the Indonesian Embassy in the Philippines ask for the right of clarification from the media who brought up the news to avoid confusion in the news that developed in the country," he said.
The letter, written on the letterhead of the Greater Jakarta Reyog Association Number 023/PRPJ/X/2015, was not only sent via electronic message to the Indonesian Consulate General in Davao City, but also forwarded to the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Regent of Ponorogo.
Separately, the Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia in Davao City, Eko Hartono, who had been asked for clarification via electronic mail, replied via a similar electronic message that the news of the burning of a number of reog art instruments by the local Consulate General staff was true.
However, Consul General Eko Hartono, as quoted in an electronic message received by Agus Setiyoko, said the burning had to be carried out because the 30-year-old art instrument was damaged and eaten by termites.
"Mr. Eko as the Indonesian Consul General in Davao even said that they were grateful for being able to communicate (via email) with the reog community in Indonesia so that they could ask for input for the procurement of a number of new reog art instruments there," said Agus.
However, Agus said, the reog art lovers and actors in the country still need an official and open explanation that can be read in the national media so as not to continue to trigger disappointment or even anger from the reog community in Indonesia.
"The second letter that we submitted above is more of a reflection of the shock and disappointment of the Indonesian people, especially the reog artist community in the country over the incident of burning objects for the reog art," he said.
Previously, reports about the burning of a number of reog art properties such as gayor, peacock masks and a dragon head gamelan appeared in a number of online media along with photos of the burning of a peacock mask in the yard of a house suspected of being the Indonesian Consulate General's office in Davao City, Philippines.