On Thursday October 30, the Civil Society Movement to Bring Suharto to Justice (GEMAS), which consists of victims of gross human rights violations, individuals and civil society organisations, officially sent an open letter urging the chairperson of the Titles, Service and Honorary Medals Board (GTK) Board at the Ministry of State Secretariat to reject the proposal to name H.M. Suharto as a national hero.
The letter was signed by 185 institutions and 256 individuals from various regions in Indonesia as a firm stance against efforts at symbolic rehabilitation of a figure who has a dark track record in the history of the nation.
GEMAS considers that the proposal to name Suharto a national hero is contrary to the mandate of reformasi (the political reform process that began with Suharto's resignation in 1998), human rights principles, as well as the values of justice and public morality, considering his track record on gross human rights violations, systemic practices of corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN), as well as his authoritarian leadership style during his 32 years in power.
GEMAS also highlighted that the proposal process by the Ministry of Social Affairs was carried out in a closed, elitist manner and with minimal public participation, including inconsistent information from the government regarding the origins of the proposal.
Based on Minister of Social Affairs Regulation Number 15/2012, proposals for titles from the regions should require the governor's approval, however Central Java Governor Ahmad Lutfi has publicly stated that he was not aware of the existence of this proposal as stated in media reports on April 28, 2025.
This gives rise to serious questions regarding the legitimacy and transparency of the proposal procedure. GEMAS considers the Ministry of Social Affairs' attitude to be very disappointing because it ignores input and objections from civil society and the families of victims of gross human rights violations in Indonesia.
Yet long before that, GEMAS had actively conveyed its rejection accompanied by arguments based on data and historical facts through the book Reject the Title of Hero for Suharto (Tolak Gelar Pahlawan Soeharto), which is more than 2,000 pages thick, as well as a petition which has now been signed by more than 11,500 people who reject the awarding of the title.
Furthermore, GEMAS notes that legal and moral responsibility for violations during the Suharto administration had been confirmed through a number of legal instruments, including People's Consultative Assembly Decree (TAP MPR) XI/MPR/1998 and TAP MPR IV/MPR/1999 which cited Suharto as a party that must be held accountable for KKN practices, as well as the Supreme Court ruling Number 140 PK/Pdt/2015 dated July 8, 2015, which stated that Suharto's Supersemar Foundation had committed acts against the law. Moreover, UN and World Bank reports (Stolen Asset Recovery/StAR, 2007) ranked Suharto as the most corrupt leader in the world, with state losses estimated at 15-35 billion US dollars.
Based on historical, legal and moral evidence, GEMAS asserts that Suharto does not meet the criteria for being a national hero as regulated under Law Number 20/2009 on Titles, Service and Honorary Medals, specifically regarding moral integrity and exemplary performance.
Therefore, GEMAS is urging the GTK Board to reject and stop the process of proposing the title of national hero for Suharto because the move will not only harm the values of reformasi and humanity, but also re-injure victims of human rights violations and weak0en the nation's commitment to upholding justice and historical truth.
- The open letter by GEMAS can be accessed at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EbrkyZaJ_O28nxZBTr5xOtq9v9l9Qzjt/view?usp=sharing
- Supreme Court ruling Number 140 PK/Pdt/2015 can be accessed at https://drive.google.com/file/d/13_7NJVzuoAA7HVIi-8rumPVLEYhiF9Je/view?usp=sharing
- Arguments rejection the national hero award for Suharto can be accessed at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t8_usY1JGZQJgwcQxf4ZxWUjZSmNcAAd/view?usp=drivesdk
- The petition opposing the national hero award for Suharto can be accessed at: https://www.change.org/p/tolak-gelar-pahlawan-nasional-untuk-soeharto
Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "185 Lembaga dan 256 Individu Melalui Surat Terbuka Desak Fadli Zon Batalkan Usulan Gelar Pahlawan Nasional untuk Soeharto".]
