REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- A recent move to make the country's second President Soeharto a national hero has again met strong opposition.
"We and other victims of human right violation strongly reject the move," Yati Andriyani from the Commission for Disappeared Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) said.
Yati said Soeharto was responsible for rampant corruption, collusion and nepotism the impact of which still is felt until today.
It is against the principle of fairness and justice to name Soeharto a hero, she said.
Golkar party, which was founded by Soeharto himself, called on the government to officially named the former authoritarian leader a national hero in recognition for his service to the country.
Soeharto and Golkar led the country for more than three decade before he was forced to step down after waves of big riots.
Attempts to make Soeharto a national hero had emerged several times before but had always been strongly rejected.
In 2010, the social affairs ministry led a move to make Suharto a national hero, but failed, and in 2014, Prabowo Subianto, a losing presidential candidate said he would name Suharto, his father in law, a national hero if he was elected president.
"Such discourse sabotages and hurts the struggle for reform , which has an agenda to bring Soeharto and his cronies to justice for creating an authoritarian system, rampant with corruption , collusion and nepotism," Yati said.
The title of hero is a symbol of respect and appreciation granted to Indonesian citizens for their services and sacrifice to the nation, she said.
"Only ones who never commit disgraceful action that tarnished their struggle deserve the title of national hero. Soeharto was a controversial person as described by former President Abdurrahman Wahid that Soeharto had great service but he also committed big sins" she said.
Maria Catarina Sumarsih, mother of Atma Jaya University student Benardinus Realino Norma Irawan (Wawan), who was killed in the Semanggi I shooting, said the nation committed a big mistake if Soeharto was granted the title of national hero.
"Giving Soeharto that title of hero is tantamount to maintaining impunity and legalizing the practices of corruption, collusion and nepotism," Maria said.
She said that if President Joko Widodo accepted the call to make Soeharto a national hero he would go against his own vision and mission of Nawacita , which has a pledge to settle cases of the past human right violation.
Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika