Mother: That's grandfather, he was a national hero, that's Pak De, he was a teacher, that's the cat.

Poki: Lho!? (exclamation of surprise)

Father: Mom says the pussycat meets the requirements

Responding to criticism over the proposal to name former president Suharto a national hero, Cultural Minister Fadli Zon has claimed that there is no evidence linking then general Suharto to the 1965-66 mass killings in Indonesia..

Zon made the statement in response to comments by respected Catholic priest and philosophy professor Franz Magnis Suseno who earlier argued that Suharto does not deserve the title of national hero due to his alleged involvement in one of Indonesia's darkest chapters.

"So what are the facts? Is there anyone brave enough to present them? Where is the evidence?", Zon said at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday November 5. "We are talking about history, facts, and data, right? Are there any? None, right?".

Zon, who is a close confidant of Suharto's former son-in-law President Prabowo Subianto and head of the Titles, Service and Honorary Medals Board (DGTK), said that Suharto along with the other nine nomination for the award had met all the formal requirements to be named national heroes. The official announcement is expected on Heroes' Day, November 10.

"For the proposed names, as I've said before, they all meet the requirements, including former president Suharto, whose name has been proposed three times", said Zon.

Earlier, Suseno strongly opposed the idea of awarding Suharto the title of national hero. Speaking at the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) offices in Jakarta on Tuesday November 4, he accused the former president of massive corruption during the New Order era.

"Suharto engaged in large-scale corruption. He enriched his family, his associates, and himself. That is not the behaviour of a national hero", he said, adding that a true hero is someone who serves selflessly for the good of the nation, not for personal or familial gain.

He also accused Suharto of being responsible for the 1965-66 anti-communist purge. "It cannot be denied that Suharto bore the greatest responsibility for the killings of 1965-66. According to various accounts, there were between 800,000 and 3 million victims", he said.

[Abridged from a November 5 article by Tempo titled "Fadli Zon: No evidence Soeharto was involved in Indonesia's 1965-1966 mass killings"]