Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has strongly criticized the ongoing discussion regarding the potential conferment of the title of national hero upon Soeharto, the second President of Indonesia. The human rights group views this proposal as an act of disrespect towards the victims of human rights violations that occurred during his authoritarian New Order regime.
Jessenia Destarini, a member of Kontras's Impunity Monitoring Division, said that the proposal is deeply problematic as it would effectively whitewash a dark period in Indonesian history and erase the painful legacy of crimes committed by the New Order government.
"Bestowing the title of hero to Soeharto is a disrespect to the dignity of the victims and hurts their feelings," Jessenia told Tempo on Saturday, April 12, 2025.
"More than two decades after the Reformation era began, the victims are still compelled to demand justice, which has yet to be served. Yet, the individual most responsible for these crimes is being considered for a hero title."
According to Kontras, Soeharto's rule was marked by severe human rights violations, including the suppression of civil liberties, land grabbing, the exploitation of natural resources, the militarization of civilian life, and pervasive corruption, collusion, and nepotism (KKN). Jessenia argued that these factors should be compelling reasons to reject the proposal.
She emphasized that bestowing the title would also contradict the spirit of the 1998 Reformation movement, which called for a transition towards a democratic government that upholds and respects human rights.
"Reformation is not just a change of president, but also a moment for structural change to ensure the protection of human rights and the recognition of the crimes committed by the New Order regime," she added.
Kontras further views the proposal as a dangerous manifestation of impunity. "The government appears to be condoning Soeharto's responsibility for various human rights abuses and the abuse of power. This fosters a mindset of impunity concerning state-sanctioned crimes," Jessenia explained.
She urged the government to cease the discourse and instead strengthen its commitment to resolving past human rights violation cases and to respect the ongoing struggle of the victims seeking justice.
Mira Riyati Kurniasih, the Director General of Social Empowerment at the Ministry of Social Affairs, indicated that ten names have been nominated for the hero title.
"For 2025, we have received ten proposals. Four are new submissions, and six are resubmissions from prior years," Mira said, as quoted from a written statement released on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.
Some of the figures whose nominations have been resubmitted include Gus Dur (the late former President Abdurrahman Wahid) nominated by East Java, Soeharto nominated by Central Java, Bisri Sansuri nominated by East Java, Idrus bin Salim Al-Jufri nominated by Central Sulawesi, Teuku Abdul Hamid Azwar nominated by Aceh, and Abbas Abdul Jamil nominated by West Java.
The four new names proposed this year are Anak Agung Gede Anom Mudita nominated by Bali, Deman Tende nominated by West Sulawesi, Midian Sirait nominated by North Sumatra, and Yusuf Hasim nominated by East Java.
– Dian Rahma Fika contributed to the writing of this article.