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Hangabehi takes control of Surakarta palace

Closer to reconciliation: Surakarta Sultan Pakubuwono XIII Hangabehi sits on the throne to watch the “sacred” Bedaya Ketawang dance during the Tingalan Jumenengan event commemorating the anniversary of his crowning at the Surakarta Keraton Palace on Saturday

Ganug Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post)
Surakarta
Tue, April 25, 2017

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Hangabehi takes control of Surakarta palace

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span class="inline inline-center">Closer to reconciliation: Surakarta Sultan Pakubuwono XIII Hangabehi sits on the throne to watch the “sacred” Bedaya Ketawang dance during the Tingalan Jumenengan event commemorating the anniversary of his crowning at the Surakarta Keraton Palace on Saturday. The ceremony marks the beginning of reconciliation between the sultan and the customary council that has opposed his leadership.(JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi)

The years-long power struggle within the Surakarta sultanate in Central Java, which had intensified in the past weeks, seems to have abated now that Sultan Pakubuwono XIII Hangabehi is finally sitting on the throne.

Hangabehi, who was previously barred from entering the Kasunanan Surakarta Palace, celebrated Tingalan Dalem Jumenengan, the anniversary of the crowning of the Surakarta Sultan, at the palace on Saturday.

The event was attended by hundreds of invitees, including Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo, Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, Surakarta Mayor FX Hadi Rudyatmo and Sudjiatmi Notomiharjo, the mother of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

Soon after the ceremony, however, several royal family members who had joined the ceremony were asked to leave the palace because they were part of the palace’s customary council.

They include GRA Koes Indriyah, one of the children of Pakubuwono XII; as well as Koes Sapardiyah, GRA Koes Handariyah and GRA Koes Supiyah.

Led by member of the royal family GKR Koes Murtiyah Wandansari, or Gusti Moeng, the council is the opposing camp that does not recognize Hangabehi’s leadership.

“His Majesty is concerned that conflict may intensify again if customary council members remain at the palace,” said Pakubuwono XII’s other child, KGPH Suryo “Neno” Wicaksono.

Gusti Moeng and her husband, KP Eddy Wirabhumi, did not attend the ceremony.

Neno said Hangabehi had taken full control of the palace. In the future, the management of the palace will be handled by a new institution that will involve both the sultanate and the Surakarta administration.

Previously, Hangabehi could only conduct the procession at his residence, Sasana Putra, while the customary council’s camp used the palace’s main hall, Sasana Sewaka, to conduct its own ceremony.

“Both camps held their own ceremonies in the past. Today, we only have one. I hope this is a good sign for reconciliation and reformation of the sultanate,” ceremony committee spokesman Bambang Pradoponagoro said.

KGPH Puger, who according to the customary council is the legitimate acting sultan, also attended the event. But he claimed he was present as a family member and did not represent the council.

“The conflict is over. After this, we are eyeing a reform of the sultanate with clean mind and heart,” Puger said while adding that he would also be involved in the reconciliation process.

Previously, Hangabehi’s eldest daughter, GKR Timoer Rumbai Kusuma Dewayani, sued the sultan for Rp 2.1 billion (US$160,000) for establishing the Panca Narendra task force, a team of five appointed by Hangabehi to resolve the conflict. A similar lawsuit was also filed by his nephew BRM Aditya Soerya Harbanu.

The sultan’s lawyer Ferry Firman Nurwahyu has described the lawsuit as baseless, arguing that the sultan had the full authority to issue policies based on the 1998 Presidential Decree on the status and management of the Surakarta sultanate. “The sultan also has the right to clean the palace of dissidents who always create conflicts,” he said.

Earlier in April, the task force forcefully disassembled a fence that had physically and symbolically separated the conflicting parties. The barrier worked to separate two areas: Langen Katong, controlled by the Customary Council; and Sasana Putra.

The conflict dates back to 2005 when the sultan’s brother, KGPH Panembahan Agung Tedjowulan, challenged his legitimacy as ruler.

In 2013, the customary council unilaterally stripped Hangabehi of his title as sultan and installed KGPH Puger as acting sultan after it accused the sultan of ignoring the council’s recommendations during a reconciliation process with KGPH Panembahan.

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