Royals of the Savu-islands try to come back in power

South-west of the islands of Timor are lying the little archipelago of the Savu-islands.
Already in Dutch time it was a bit an isolated area, because of being less economical interesting and because it was not always easy in the old times to reach the area.
Nowadays;however;it is still remaining as one of the last remaining Indonesian areas, where the local culture remained unspoiled relatively.
The archipelago consists of 5 former principalities:Seba, Messara, Timu, Liae (on the main island) and the island of Raijua.
Together with the eastwards of it lying Rote archipelago it belonged to the kabupaten (district) Kupang on Timor in the modern time.
Some years ago Rote became an independent kabupaten, but Savu still remained with Kupang.
But also on this islandgroup the need to be a seperate kabupaten already was growing more and more and that resulted in the foundation of the kabupaten Sabu Raijua on the 29th of october 2008.
And with that event the royals of Savu also came back more and more in the local government. Before the relative isolated islands were ruled by rajas,or doae's,but the former religious rulers of the islands were still powerfull.
So not like on Timor and Rote, where the community development had been crystylized in a way, that the former wordly representatives of the religious rulers became the real rulers of the islands.
So after the Indonesian independence in 1945/49 the raja-dynasties of Savu were not rooted so strongly in the area as the raja dynasties of the nearby islands. So in fact still being in the process of rooting.
When the new kabupaten Sabu Raijua was founded 29-10-2008 the bupati ad-interim became Thobias Uly;a person, who had blood ties with the Fettor-Raja Tanya dynasty of Timu.
In december 2010 the election for a new bupati and vice-bupati of the archipelago will be held and it can be seen clearly, that the dynasties of the archipelago try to come back in the local government.
There are 3 pairs of future rulers for these government posts. In 2 of it 3 dynasties are represented.
In one of the teams to become bupati and vice-bupati we see Pieter Djamu Rebo with his vice-bupati running mate Dr. Origenes M. Boeky;nephew of the dynastychief of Messara:
Raja Muda Ferdinand H. Boeky.
The 2nd team is made up of Atu Radja Pono;direct descendant of Raja Elias Ludji Radja Pono of Seba (the biggest area of the archipelago;having ruled 1901-1906) and his vice-bupati running mate Dr. Bernhard Tanya;son of the last ruler of Timu;Fettor-Raja Saul We Tanja Ludji (1910-1950-ies) and brother of the last crownprince of Timu;Raja Muda Samuel Tanja, who also was before an important national politician.

All of these royals have sufficient local political experience.
We are waiting with anxious feelings, what will be the outcome of this election of one of the last areas in Indonesia, where the royalty come back in the local politics.

With thanks to the information sended by His Highness Raja Muda Cornelius A. Boeky;
brother of the chief of the raja dynasty of Messara:His Highness Raja Muda Ferdinand H Boeky.


Donald
Festivi