Jakarta – Over 5 thousand people have signed an online petition opposing Indonesia's 2nd president Suharto being awarded the title of national hero. The petition on the Change.org website titled "Reject the National Hero Title for Suharto!", had 5,480 verified signatures as of 1.03 pm West Indonesia Time (WIB) and was continuing to grow.
Initially, the petition was launched by the Civil Society Movement to Bring Suharto to Justice (Gemas) on April 8. In the petition, the group highlighted the government's intention through the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) to give the title of national hero to Suharto.
"For 32 years of his leadership as president, he committed violence against civilians, human rights violations and even gross violations against human rights, abused his authority and power, as well as practices of corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN)", read a part of the petition as quoted on Thursday May 1.
There are three main reasons for the rejection. First, Suharto is considered to have committed a number of gross violations of human rights starting from the mass killings in 1965-66, through to the mysterious shootings (Petrus) in 1982-85 and the May 1998 riots in Jakarta. The second reason is human rights violations and third, the practice of corruption, collusion and nepotism or KKN.
Meanwhile, Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf alias Gus Ipul said that Suharto has an opportunity to receive the title of national hero in 2025. He is targeting that the proposal be submitted to the Board of Decorations and Honorary Titles before August 2025.
"So, (the awarding of the title of national hero to Suharto) will be decided later in November (2025). At the end of October or November (it will be decided) by President (Prabowo Subianto)", he said at the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta on Wednesday April 30.
Gus Ipul even claimed that the 2nd President Suharto had fulfilled the requirements to become a national hero since 2010. However it was constrained by People's Consultative Assembly Decree (TAP MPR) Number XI/MPR/1998 on a State Administration that is Clean and Free from Corruption, Collusion and Nepotism, from which Suharto's name was finally removed by the MPR in 2024.
Suharto is not alone. In total there are 10 names that have been proposed by the Ministry of Social Affairs, one of which is Indonesia's 4th president Abdurrahman Wahid alias Gus Dur. (skt/dal)
- The petition can be read and signed here: https://www.change.org/p/tolak-gelar-pahlawan-nasional-untuk-soeharto
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "5.480 Orang Teken Petisi Tolak Soeharto Raih Gelar Pahlawan Nasional".]
