'Kewang' and 'sasi' -- how long will they last?
'Kewang' and 'sasi' -- how long will they last?
HARUKU, Ambon (JP): Haruku, a small island in the eastern part
of Ambon island, in Maluku, is inhabited by around 500 families.
It is one of the few places in Maluku that still practices sasi,
along with Lolot and Iamahu villages in Saparua Island and Kei
Besar in Southeast Maluku.
Oral history in Maluku indicates that sasi used to be widely
practiced in Maluku province. Today, however, it is being
challenged by changing traditions.
"The increasing use of explosives by outsiders and the use of
bagan, modern fishing traps, are the main factors for the sasi's
decline. The bright light from the bagan attracts the fish and
thus diverts their path. The fish, including the lompa, do not
want to go to the sasi area," said Oom Elli sadly.
"We could have an open sasi this time because we (Kewang) lit
torches for two consecutive months. The light from our torches
managed to attract the lompa to our sasi area," Oom Elli
explained. But the use of explosives has decimated the fish
population.
Oom Elli admitted that even though in Haruku itself sasi and
Kewang are recognized, it is getting more and more difficult to
maintain and conserve natural resources since the exploiters are
not Haruku people, but fishermen and business people from outside
the village, sometimes even outside the province. These people do
not know the sasi system and do not recognize the authority of
the Kewang. Even if they do, they refuse to acknowledge them.
The use of explosives is an example of this attitude. In
Haruku, in addition to the sasi, the local community also
recognizes the sasi regulations which govern human relations with
nature and the relations between community members. This is
called Sasi Dalam Negeri (Internal sasi). The village sasi
includes the prohibition of making a lot of noise on Saturday
nights and of fishing in the evening.
"On Sundays, people go to church and pray, therefore no
activities is allowed. But these 'bombers' throw their explosives
on Sundays, when we pray, as if waiting for the moment when we
are not on our guard," said Oom Elli excitedly.
A more complex problem is the punishments for explosive users
and bagan installers. If they were Haruku people, the Kewang will
impose punishment according to the regulations, but since they
are outsiders, there is nothing the Kewang can do.
"If we catch a 'bomber' and bring the person to the village,
it is very possible that the villagers will beat him to death
because they are very angry and of course this is not right. But
if we take them to the police, sometimes they are easily released
without being fined or punished," Oom Elli complained.
Oom Elli has faced a number of such a case. In his
experiences, these cases drain his energy since "I have to go to
the police station in Ambon and then to the court in Ambon back
and forth during the trial process," he said.
Moreover, he has to pay for his own transportation fare
because the Kewang does not have a budget nor do they have a
salary. Still, he does that because he believes that it is the
best way to defend the community's rights and to defend the
dignity of the Kewang institution -- one of the few remaining
traditional institutions in Indonesia.
Unrecognized
Researches and studies on sasi system suggest that one of the
main factors of the diminishing sasi system and Kewang tradition
is the passing of Law no 5/1979 which regulates, reorganizes and
restructures the village-level government but does not give space
to the existence of traditional institutions.
"During the Dutch colonial time, the sasi system survived. I
can still remember when the area of Rumah Tiga (the area where
Pattimura University is located) was full with fishermen and fish
were abundant. This was because the community practiced the sasi
system. After the passing of Law no 5/1979, everything
collapsed," said a senior researcher from the Environmental Study
Center, Pattimura University.
According to the Director of the Environmental Study Centre,
Pattimura University, J.J. Wenno, "the ability of sasi to sustain
itself, depends heavily on the willingness of the community to
defend the system, revive and recognize the controlling
institution, i.e. the Kewang institution."
It is this willingness that sustains sasi and Kewang in
Haruku.
But the price is very high. "I am a very skillful fisherman
and also quite capable of raising pigs, but I gave all this up
ever since I become Kepala Kewang (the head of Kewang," Oom Elli
said.
Oom Elli is the seventh generation in the family who has held
the position. "I could have earned more with my skills, but as
Kewang head, I have to concentrate on my duty and often neglect
my family's needs. My two elder children have had to make
sacrifices, they cannot continue their education to a higher
level," Oom Elli said.
As Kepala Kewang is hereditary, one of his children will
become Kepala Kewang one day, but as the situation changes, he is
not too sure whether he should start preparing one of his
children to later hold the position.
However, it seems that the community in Haruku, including Oom
Elli himself and Berthy Ririmase, would like to maintain both the
sasi and Kewang. Starting this year, they are developing the
Kewang Kecil (Young Kewang) system, involving around 50 children
aged around 10 to 14 years old who are assigned various Kewang
duties.
"Our task is to water the plants in the field, weed, and
prevent our friends from playing around the plant. They cannot do
that, it is not allowed," said Agus, one of Kewang Kecil
proudly, his T-shirt displaying the words Beta Kewang Kecil (I am
Kewang Kecil).
"The idea is that the younger generation understands the sasi
regulations and is able to practice them," said Berthy Ririmase.
Since the modern education system only recognizes formal
education in schools, Oom Elli, in collaboration with the local
elementary school and Teachers Training Institute (IKIP), have
developed a training package on sasi for elementary school
children.
Seeing the enthusiasm of the Kewang Kecil and various efforts
in Haruku to maintain the system, it is very likely that the
Kewang and sasi tradition will remain. But, probably a bigger
challenge is whether the system can survive the environmental
exploitation connected to big businesses and whether there is
enough political space for them to revive and practice the
system.
-- Binny Buchori