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Police declare halt to Gowa Kingdom row
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Hail to the "King" – Gowa regent Adnan Purichta Ichsan Yasin Limpo attends his inauguration as the head of Gowa Customary Institution (LAD), after which according to a new bylaw he was to start playing the role and conducting the functions of a king of Gowa. His inauguration has drawn criticism because Gowa kings have always inherited the throne through blood lines. (JP/Andi Hajramurni)
T
he South Sulawesi Police have declared they will maintain the status quo in a conflict between Gowa Regent Adnan Purichta Ichsan Yasin Limpo and the Gowa royal family.
The police said they took control of Balla Lompoa, the Gowa Kingdom’s palace, on Friday to prevent a deeper conflict between the two parties.
“We conveyed to both parties that we would maintain the status quo in Balla Lompoa and they agreed. Starting from today [Friday], the palace will be guarded by police personnel, supported by Public Order Agency officers,” South Sulawesi Police chief Insp.Gen. Anton Charliyan in Makassar.
Heirloom objects belonging to the Gowa Kingdom are now under police guard as well. Those objects, such as a salokoa (a gold crown inlaid with precious stones), rings, pins and kris (a kind of wavy-bladed dagger), are still being kept in the Tamalate Palace, which is located inside the Balla Lompoa compound, but police said they may move them if necessary.
“Currently, all of those heirloom objects are still in Balla Lompoa and under the tight monitoring of police personnel. We’ll see to their condition. If their safety is threatened, we will move them to safer places, such as to banks or other safe places, because these are heirloom objects and we must protect them,” said Anton.
Concerns over the safety of these objects emerged after Adnan was inaugurated as the head of the Gowa Customary Institution (LAD) on Sept. 9 based on Gowa Bylaw No. 5/2016 on the restructuring of traditions and culture in Gowa regency.
The bylaw stipulates that the head of the LAD will play the role and undertake the functions of the sombaya (king) of Gowa. Within a day of his inauguration, Adnan reportedly ordered the seizure of various heirloom objects that were under the protection of Andi Maddusila Andi Idjo, the son of the 36th king of Gowa, Andi Idjo Daeng Mattawang. Maddusila was himself inaugurated as the 37th king of Gowa several months ago.
The Gowa royal family reported that a safe the then reigning queen of the Netherlands, Wilhelmina, gave to the kingdom in 1936 had been forcefully opened using a crowbar. Several heirloom objects kept in the safe were taken and moved to a strongbox provided by the LAD.
The conflicts culminated during the celebration of Idul Adha, the Muslim Day of Sacrifice, on Sept. 12. Adnan took over the organizing of the Accera Kalompoang, a ceremony involving the washing of heirloom objects traditionally conducted by the Gowa royal family. Adnan claimed that since he had been inaugurated as the head of the LAD head, the preservation of traditions and heirloom objects had become his responsibility.
The Gowa regent said the LAD was established because the regency administration wanted to preserve Gowa's traditions, culture and historic assets. He later declared Balla Lompoa and the Gowa Kingdom’s heirloom objects were now assets of Gowa. “These are Gowa assets and their preservation must be protect by the LAD head,” said Adnan.
Andi Baso Machmud, a member of the Gowa Kingdom’s customary council, said both the palace and the heirloom objects were the inheritance of the Gowa kings and they should have been automatically passed onto their successive generation. (ebf)
