Extracting Sweets from the Marapu

Monday, September 28, 2020

The sugarcane plantation owned by Djarum and Wings Indonesia is being accused of damaging and shutting off access to a location where followers of the Marapu conduct rituals in East Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara. Despite repeated reminders from a number of institutions, the regional government and company were unmoved. Local residents accuse the company of misrepresenting a traditional offering of money as compensation for land use. This coverage was done through collaboration of Tempo and Tempo Institute.

The Marapu community must take down the barrier to go to their Katuada Njara Yuara Ahu ritual site in August./TEMPO/Budiarti Utami Putri. tempo : 171360203836.

A four-meter wide wooden and bamboo gate blocks entry to a part of Patawang village in Umalulu subdistrict, East Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). A sign of no entry is put in the middle of a steel bar barrier. Wooden stakes stretch for more than two kilometers in either direction of the gate in that grassland area.

Together with some of his friends, Hapu Tarambiha II, 57, entered this forbidden area on Saturday, August 8. Abo

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