Students Reject the Talk of Giving the Title of Hero to Suharto

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Students rejected Suharto as a national hero by holding a demonstration at the Pamulang Roundabout, South Tangerang (Tangsel), Banten. (Antara)

STUDENTS reject the title of national hero given to the 2nd President of the Republic of Indonesia, Soeharto. This rejection was expressed by students who are members of the Pamulang University Student Action Front (FAM Unpam) and the Tangerang Antifascists.

They refused to make Suharto a national hero, by holding a demonstration at Pamulang Roundabout, South Tangerang (Tangsel), Banten. “We firmly reject giving Suharto the title of national hero,” said FAM Unpam representative, Job Silitonga, Thursday (10/10).

They argued that Suharto had many problems when leading the nation. So, he was deemed unfit to be a national hero.

Also read: Proposal to give Suharto the title of Hero Reaps Criticism

“There were various tragedies of human rights violations in the New Order era. Forced disappearances, killings of activists, democracy being silenced. The rise of corruption, collusion and nepotism or KKN. Until the peak of the monetary crisis due to the policies taken by Soeharto,” he said.

“On that basis, we conclude that Suharto is not worthy of the title of national hero,” added Job.

During this peaceful protest, the masses unfurled banners reading “Refuse to Give Suharto the Title of Hero”. Meanwhile, in a different location, a number of human rights activists who held the 835th Kamisan Action in front of the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta on Thursday (10/10), also demanded the same thing. They asked the government to thoroughly investigate human rights violations in Indonesia, and to refuse to award Suharto the title of national hero.

It is known that awarding the title of national hero to Suharto was proposed by the leadership of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) when it was chaired by Bambang Soesatyo (Bamsoet). This proposal was submitted following the submission of documents for the removal of the name of the 2nd President of the Republic of Indonesia, Soeharto, in MPR Decree Number 11 of 1998 concerning State Administrators who are Clean and Free of Corruption, Collusion and Nepotism (KKN), by the MPR. The MPR views that the efforts proposed by the Golkar Party Fraction of the MPR RI provide legal certainty for Suharto. (Ykb/I-2)