14.4.3 Enforcement
Seri has no kewang or police or other enforcing agent. Minor crimes are settled by the dusun head
who plays an important role in the village. He regulates social behavior (punishes thieves, drunks
and offenders), and he arranges labor for village activities. His actions are legitimized through
adat, but he will not undertake action or punish young people without consent from their parents.
The village head knows that the people are busy and therefore, instead of organizing a formal
meeting, he asks them to join informal meetings (after the Sunday service) to talk to them
about development issues, adat laws, drinking problems, taxation etc. He allows the people
to express their ideas in the meetings because he realizes that his people are getting more
critical and are smart. “However”, he said, “as their leader I try to be smarter than my people.”
He thus has a great influence on the villagers and is personally involved in the regulation of
social behavior.
14.4.4 Compliance
Enforcement and compliance have to be studied in the light of large-scale fishing and the use
of modern gears. The boat operators work under regional and national law, and cannot be
sanctioned by the local village government. Even if the village did have a formal enforcement
institution, its mandate would not comprise these outside fishers. On the other hand, if the
boundaries of Seri fishing grounds were acknowledged and rules formalized, fisheries
regulations (i.e., on mesh size) could be implemented.
14.5 External Institutional and Organizational Arrangements
Link with higher government bodies
Government officials from the (sub-) district level, municipality, provincial agencies and the
municipal PKK group, visit the dusun about five times a month. Seri is more frequently visited
than the other dusuns in the Urimesing village.
The village has been involved in several development programs proposed by higher
government levels. The Animal Husbandry Agency established local groups, and most
households now grow chickens. The agency officials routinely visit Seri each month for
vaccination and skills training.
The Fishery Agency assisted three fisher groups to build lift nets. Target groups were fishers
that had no nets or were not associated with commercial lift nets. However, in 1995, the project
was abandoned after the lift nets washed away during the eastern monsoon period.
The Fishery Agency also conducted a week’s training in silver carp culture and hatchery. For
this purpose, the leader of the project was sent to a fish culture apprenticeship in Bogor.
Apparently, this fish breeding program is a success.
In 1996, Seri obtained assistance directly from the Public Works Department to renovate houses
and to construct footpaths. With this aid, Seri won a national competition for housing and
environment development in 1996. As a gift, the Department gave additional funds and cement
to build drainage canals and pathways to the primary school, church, beach and water source.
The construction of more canals and pathways is proposed.
Dusun Toisapu, Desa Hutumuri, Ambon Island 187