Yemris Fointuna and Agus Maryono, Kupang, Purwokerto – The regents of East Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, and Banyumas, Central Java, have faced criticism over recent religious and mystical controversies.
Catholic leaders in Flores accused East Flores Regent Simon Hayon of what they considered "deviant religious teachings", which they claim have caused local unrest.
In a recent meeting with area residents, Simon said Jesus Christ was born in Wure village, West Adonara, East Flores. He also said the Virgin Mary was Nyai Roro Kidul, the queen of the South Sea, who lived in Nobo Gayak village on Adonara Island.
Simon also said Lamaholot, the traditional name for Flores, and the neighboring regencies of Lembata and Alor, were the center of world civilization.
In a phone interview with The Jakarta Post on Monday, Simon denied the accusations. He defended his statements and said all he did was compile past histories to trace the origins and identity of Lamaholot.
"I compiled facts from the local community, not from outside. I'm not spreading deviant teaching," he said. However, he declined to explain his statements on Jesus and Mary.
Simon was also criticized for carrying out a traditional ritual to draw gold to East Flores from other regions. The ritual, which took place on May 17 at Nobo village and Watuwoko beach, involved the sacrifice of a buffalo and three cows.
He said he did this based on his belief gold from other regions could be moved to the regency through the "supernatural power of the pharaoh spirit and Nyai Roro Kidul, who is also Mother Mary".
Strong criticism and protests have come mainly from parishioners of Reinha Rosari Larantuka Cathedral. In response to the regent's statements, the Larantuka diocese held a meeting over the weekend and denounced the statements as "deviant".
In Banyumas, a group of artisans protested against Regent Mardjoko's plan to cut down two banyan trees and close a road leading to City Hall.
Mardjoko had told the artisans at an earlier meeting the road "did not have good feng shui" because it formed part of a triangle. Mardjoko said he would build a wall to close off the road and cut down the two trees, believed to be more than 100 years old.
"This is what makes Banyumas so backward. Because of its unfavorable location, the spirits inhabiting the hall's pillars have all gone away," Mardjoko said at the meeting.
Bambang Set, chairman of the Banyumas Arts Council, told the Post that Mardjoko's plan was a breach of the cultural preservation law.
He said it was also extremely embarrassing to have a regent who used mysticism in carrying out his duties. "How can the trees prevent progress simply because all the spirits inhabiting them have gone away?" he said.
Sunardi, an urban planning expert at Banyumas' Wijaya Kusuma University, expressed similar sentiments. He said the felling of the trees was technically a violation of the cultural preservation law.
"The city square can easily be reconstructed, but you have to do it by considering prevailing city planning regulations and cultural values, and certainly not by mysticism," he said.