An institutional analysis of sasi laut in Maluku, Indonesia

7.3 The Governing Authorities: Adat, Church and Local Government

In each village, the sasi rules and structure of the institution vary (see Appendix 6 for
translations of some sets of sasi rules). Sasi can be characterized as fundamentally adat, church
or “others”. In the past, the distinction of church from adat sasi referred to the dominant
governing authority in the local institution but in modern times, the partnership of the local
government with these authorities is implicit. In many cases, it is in fact the unnamed partner
- the local village head (kepala desa) - who is the ultimate decision-maker.

In cases where respect for adat is very strong, adat leaders play a prominent role in developing
and enforcing sasi rules (sasi adat). In church sasi, it is the church that plays the most visible
role. Church and adat sasi occurred together in 10 villages (Table 7.3). We have also heard of
a Muslim village in Seram where adat sasi is presided over by the Christian minister from a
neighboring village (L. Wenno pers. comm. 1998). In general, a movement of authority from
adat to church leaders and to newly defined (since 1979) village governments characterizes
the recent history of the sasi institution in central Maluku. In one case (Itawaka), this has led
to the formal inclusion of the kewang in the LMD, through a village law passed in 1995.

In six Muslim villages, people did not describe their sasi institution as adat sasi. These are
tabulated under the name “others”. The role played by adat leaders, if any, is not clear. In
these villages, where sasi is applied to marine resources, it is a commercial agreement between
the local government and a harvester who pays a fee for harvesting rights (sasi lelang). The
owner of the harvest rights (tuan sasi) and his assistants (called the kewang) adopt adat titles
but have no hereditary adat position. Enforcement involves monetary sanctions (Table 7.11).
The local religious leader is not involved either as a decision-maker or enforcer.

The type of sasi does not vary significantly with island or village size class (chi square test,
p>0.05) but, of course, is correlated with religion, as both church and “other” sasi are specific
to one religious group.

Church, adat and the “other” type of sasi may each apply to land or sea. Sasi on land crops is
most commonly in the form of church sasi (Table 7.9). Marine sasi is most often adat sasi.
However, marine sasi frequently occurs in villages that have both adat and church sasi and
there are four marine sasi villages that have only church sasi.

Table 7.9 Combinations of types of sasi that occur in the study area.

74 An Institutional Analysis of Sasi Laut in Maluku, Indonesia

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