https://www.nrk.no/vestland/staten-vil-bevare-verdsarv-i-utlandet_-men-ikkje-i-noreg-1.16766212
An article by Ole Kristian Svalheim on nrk.no - The state wants to preserve world heritage abroad, but not in Norway - reports on Norway's decision, through the Oil Fund, to take action to preserve the 40,000-year-old rock art in Indonesia, and yet in Norway itself the state has given the green light for development in the rock carving area.
In 2022, Indonesian mining company Semen Tonasa was put on a three-year watch list due to the risk of damaging prehistoric cultural heritage, initiated by the Norwegian Oil Fund. The mining operation is in an area that threatens the 40,000-year-old rock art of Maros-Pangkep in South Sulawesi, considered to be some of the oldest rock art in the world.
This week, a Norwegian cultural monument is in the news after the Ministry of Local Government and Districts approved a quarry on the mountain peak Aksla in Bremanger in Vestland.
It is not the first time that Norway 'meets itself at the door' when it comes to contributions to Indonesia. In December, it became clear that Norway is paying a record sum of NOK 1.1 billion to save the rainforest in the Asian archipelago. At the same time, the government hesitated to invest in Norwegian forest protection. There they first retreated after massive protests from forest owners, environmental organizations and parts of the opposition. SV has done excellent work. Without their efforts we would not have achieved this, says managing director Per Skorge of the Norwegian Forest Owners' Association.
The fact that the state gave the go-ahead for development in the Vingen field has received international attention. The ICOMOS president has contacted the municipal and district minister Erling Sande (Sp) about the project in Bremanger. Erling Sande does not think that it is a paradox that Norway is taking action for the cultural heritage in Indonesia, whilst at the same time allowing the quarrying near the Vingen field. The planned quarrying will not take place in the petroglyph field. It will take place five kilometers away, where such a stone quarry already exists today, says Sande. The minister points out that they have taken the Vingen field into account in the assessments. This is an acceptable intervention, he says.
Near the approved Aksla quarry is also Northern Europe's highest sea cliff: Hornelen. The government proposed in 2021 to make Hornelen a National Park. From the top at 860 m. can be seen right at the approved quarry. Establishing a national park with a view of a quarry is like serving a piece of cake on a plate with brown sauce, says Steffen Lofnes to Firdaposten.
It is important to lodge your opposition to this development, raise awareness, disseminate knowledge about the threat to cultural heritage and the environment, and encourage collective efforts to halt the quarry project.
Please consider signing the petition to halt this develpment, which can be found here:
Click here for the signature campaign
→ Vingen Rock Art In Norway - Index
→ Film: Vingen Rock Art in Norway
→ Paul Taçon - Griffith University letter
→ Norway's Vingen Rock Art Petroglyphs at Risk
→ ICOMOS Statement on Vingen
→ Knowing when to back down: The plight of the Vingen rock art site, western Norway
→ Norway preserves world heritage abroad but not in Norway?
→ Vingen - A Century of Rock Art Research & Cultural Heritage
→ History of Vingen Rock Art in Norway
→ Valuing Cultural Heritage
→ Norway's Confusing Messages