Pastur Kopong

Kopong, The Militant Clergyman

He is famous as ‘Pastur Kopong’. He is 38 years old and his complete name is Yohanes Kopong Tuan MSF. Since 2014 ago, Pastur Kopong involved in NGO movement in East Kalimantan, almost about 6 years already. Especially in Samarinda on Ecology, multicultural, religion, and race dialogue movement. But, finally he had to move to Kefawemanu subdistrict in Timor Tengah Utara district, NTT.

As a young clergyman, Pastur Kopong has a clear and strong leadership. He said that he wants to be agent of changes, consistently. He wants everybody gets a good life. He is one of religion leaders in Catholic who can make some synergy between movement ideas in discussion forum and meeting.

In the church structure, Pastur Kopong is the leader of Young Commission. He activities and creative encourage and empower young Catholics in Samarinda and continue in TTU district of NTT. He concern on ecology, cultural, and religion issues. These issues are sensitive in East Kalimantan.

Pastur Kopong has fashionable style and good looking. He was elected as a leader by direct election in his church because he has good capacity, especially in building network to youngsters. He is open-minded and flexible, so he can make any cooperation with many organizations in many areas.

Pastor Kopong has strong social modal because he is one of religion leaders who does not only talk about theology. He talks about ecology, cultural, and multicultural issues. His speech can be influences to the local policy and source of education in Catholic schools. In multiculturalism and pluralism issues, Patur Kopong encouraged multiculturalism issues with Gusdurian group in East Kalimantan. Gusdurian group is a young group which wants to continue Gus Dur’s ideas about respect to humanity keep peace, respect each other as God believers.

In many islands (except Java), East Kalimantan, and NTT, geographically are bigger and it makes any consequent : the distance between one area to another is more far than Java. These areas, the workplace of Pastur Kopong have same problems : degradation of the environment by the mine and palm oil plantation. This condition encouraged Pastur Kopong to involve in indigenous people movement. Hedonism mentality problem, adore to be drunken and free sex around his community, encouraged Pastur Kopong to educate the young Catholic group. At the other side, Pastur Kopong also builds network and cooperation with young Catholic group in many other areas.

The young Pastur Kopong is always exciting when he talks about his ideas. He said, he wants to change the mind of people, to make better generation with good quality in one movement. The only one ‘pastur’ who participated in planning workshop YPP in Tembi, Rumah Budaya Yogyakarta, January 2015 ago is one of many pioneers who must be supported. Since the first selection until a year communication with YPP, his need is only one, to get capacity building, especially on social and political analysis for advocacy of the case. A simple need, has to be appreciated and supported. Even, YPP cannot facilitate that need for a long time, but YPP will and has to fulfill it.

The leadership of Patur Kopong is getting stronger after he got new job in TTU district of NTT and now in Manila, Philippine. He involved in antimining movement in Kefamenanu, TTU almost a year and now people got what they want : the operational of mining company is stopped.  Pastur Kopong said that 24 of May 2015 ago, this company is from Australia, they cannot continue to explore the mining in TTU because people and many activists in TTU fight them. They are LMND, FMN, and WALHI, they are concern to democracy and environment issues.

Written by Isti Komah