13 COUNTRIES TO PARTICIPATE IN ASIAN PUPPET SHOW MEETING

Jakarta, Nov 24 (ANTARA) - Thirteen countries in Asia will attend an "Asian Puppet Show Meeting" to be held in Yogyakarta, Central Java next month.

The countries taking part in the meeting are the ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), India, China and Japan, the secretary general of the Asean Puppet Show Association, Tupuk Sutrisno, said to newsmen here on Monday.

He said the event would be the first at Asian level and was the idea of the Asean Puppet Show Association with members from all Asean countries except Brunei Darussalam.

The association was established to preserve and develop puppet show in its respective member countries.

"The association invited three other countries to participate in it to develop understanding on the importance of cooperation among Asian countries possessing puppet show," he said.

Japan, India and China are invited because they have unique puppet shows which continue to be preserved by artists operating in classical as well as comtemporary shows.

"In the event each participating country plans to introdue its puppet show briefly," he said.

In the meeting it is expected members will make an agreement on exchange of shows and experts besides discussion on the establishment of puppet show centers to preserve the show.

"We also plan to discuss the development of the present Asian puppet show association into a world association," he said.