Understanding Asmat People
Medardus Eko Budi Setiawan, OSC, a pastor who serves in Atsj, has managed to break the chain. He was then appointed as a bakapem, or “warlord”.
Drunkenness, chaos in the middle of the kampung and domestic violence have apparently become a vicious cycle for many men in Atsj, Amat regency, Papua. Medardus Eko Budi Setiawan, OSC, a pastor who serves in Atsj, has managed to break the chain. He was then appointed as a bakapem,or “warlord”.
One morning in January, Kompas, along with Eko, as he is familiarly known, boarded a motorboat from Agats, the capital of Asmat regency, and headed to Atsj. Atsj is the district where Eko is in charge, which is reached in about two hours by motorboat.
For several days, Eko helped the command posts in Agats with their communication. The posts were in charge of collecting information via radio on the management of the extraordinary occurrences of malnutrition and the measles outbreak in the area. The health disaster that claimed the lives of about 70 children over the four months to January had become a national concern.
Overcoming the communication obstacles in Asmat were greatly helped by the local team of the Indonesian Radio Amateur Organization (Orari). Eko, with the call sign "YDGXHE", became one of the leading figures of Orari Asmat Regency, which transmits to 289 amateur radio operators across the 31,983-square-kilometer regency.
While he was in Agats, Eko ensured smooth communication with the volunteers that were monitoring 24 kampungs in 23 districts. They changed their shifts at the command posts every six hours. If they received a request for patient evacuation or for food or medicine supplies, they reported immediately to the main post for follow-up. The communication posts operated 24 hours.
During the trip to Atsj, Eko was still monitoring the radio chatter. With a short greeting or brief chat, he encouraged the members of the communication team. "They need communication, even just to say hello. If we have close ties with them, they will be open and willing to work together," said Eko.
During the journey, Eko also greeted the people that passed by in their own motorboats, whether from the opposite direction or when being overtaken by those headed the same way. He usually hailed first. It was the same with the people who were casting their fishing nets or those who lived in bifak (huts) on the riverbanks. Eko frequently used the local language, although he was not fluent.
The face of the man, who hails from Yogyakarta and has served in Asmat since 2013, is not that of a stranger among the local people. They did not hesitate to call loudly from a distance. His shoulder-length straight hair is one of his “trademarks”.
Changing drunks
When first serving the majority Catholic people in Atsj, Eko met many men who got drunk on the local liquor, sopi. Under the influence of alcohol, they often beat their wives and children at home, or caused a public disturbance in the middle of the kampung.
Eko then approached those men, inviting them to a priest’s house just to mingle. Incidentally, the house ran a soup kitchen. Tea, coffee and snacks were offered to everyone.
Taking such an approach, the men did not refuse when Eko expressed his desire to form them into a group, originally for church services.
However, on their own, those men who used to make trouble offered to be security guards for the kampung. There was no more drunken incidents. A former sopi maker is now a fisherman. "Today, security apparatuses are no longer bothered," said Viktor Acunem, a former sopi maker.
Viktor and more than 100 other kampung residents even have their savings in the cooperative. The money that was once used to buy sopi has been set aside for their children’s future.
Eko introduced the idea for the cooperative after witnessing the poor management of family finances. As the cooperative is headquartered in Agats, Eko helped facilitate their application for the savings and loans program. Now, many want to join.
Initially, the Atsj residents opposed the idea because they had been traumatized by previous cooperatives or financial institutions that had taken their money. As a compromise, the cooperative’s registration fee was waived. The new members were asked to save up to Rp 2 million before they could become full members.
"I did not say ‘full members’ because it was confusing [to them]. I said they were to be promoted. That, they agreed," said Eko.
Aside from the cooperative, Eko is building a furniture showroom and studio. The space will be used to display the carving skills of the Asmat people, which are passed down from generation to generation. Preparations for a handicraft market are also underway.
When it is completed, he will invite experts from Java to help guide the craftsmen. His goal is that their work will become export products.
Through culture
According to Eko, changing the local people’s mindset must done through a cultural approach. Local wisdoms can be used as "tools" to soften their hardened hearts. Drunkenness, for example, is not part of their indigenous culture, but an influence brought mostly by outsiders. Pointing out that violent behavior would enrage the ancestors, the people followed.
Eko always provides space for cultural leaders and youths to participate in every activity. On the other hand, he is also involved in local cultural activities. Even when leading Mass for major holidays, Eko wears customary attire, such as feather headdresses. The sound of ringing bells is replaced with the sound of the hitting a tifa, a traditional drum.
To present the culture of Atsj, Eko organized the Atsj Princesses Contest in November 2017, which was attended by a Puteri Indonesia finalist. The event is now an annual one. "The goal is to raise the confidence of the children here, so they won’t ‘lose’ against the city children," said Eko.
Before he became a pastor, Eko was an ICU specialist for adult patients at a hospital. The year 2002 was the turning point for Eko. He chose to study philosophy to become a pastor. His medical knowledge and treatment skills complement his role in the kampung, which does not have a doctor.
"We do not want Father Eko to move away. We feel safe when he\'s here," said Paul Amenpen, 52, an Atsj warrior.
Eko\'s dedication prompted a local customary leader to give him the title of bakapem,or “warlord”, as it was deemed he was able to maintain balance and harmony in Atsj. "Who says it is difficult to guide Papuan people? It all depends on our approach. The gateway is through their culture," said Eko.
Medardus Eko Budi Setiawan, OSC
Position: Pastor, Santo Paulus Atsj Church
Born: June 8, 1975, Sleman, Yogyakarta
Education: Panti Rapih Health Services Academy, Yogyakarta; Department of Philosophy, Parahyangan University, Bandung