To: THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA
at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta
Regarding: Request to reject the award of the title of national hero for retired General H.M. Suharto.
We, the people of Indonesian from various elements and backgrounds in Indonesia and outside Indonesia, with full awareness and a sense of responsibility, declare our rejection of the plan to award the title of national hero to the late president Suharto.
We understand that history is a complex narrative. However, the title of "national hero" is the nation's highest honour, acknowledging the values of heroism, exemplary behaviour, the struggle for justice and humanity, and sacrifices for the benefit of the people.
Based on moral, historical and legal considerations, we believe that Suharto's track record does not reflect these noble values.
The reasons for our rejection and the basis of our arguments include:
1. Gross human rights violations that remain unresolved. The New Order era under Suharto's leadership was marked by a number of dark events that left deep wounds for the nation. These events (including the 1965-66 Tragedy, the Mysterious Shootings of 1982-85, human rights violations in Aceh, Papua and East Timor) involved systematic state violence and to this day the victims and their families have not received recognition or justice.
2. Systematic corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN). KKN practices were rampant and became part of the culture during Suharto's 32-year reign. The nation's wealth was controlled by a handful of people close to power (the oligarchy), while the common people lived in hardship. Monopolistic practices of family businesses occurred in various strategic sectors of the economy through state facilities and protection. The huge Bank Indonesia Liquidity Support Scheme (BLBI) corruption scandal involving conglomerates close to power has burdened the national economy. Furthermore, various foundations managed by the Cendana family (Suharto's extended family) became tools for collecting forced "donations" from business people and civil servants. Then People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Decree Number XI/MPR/1998 on the State Administration that is Clean and Free from Corruption, Collusion and Nepotism, specifically Article 4, which names Suharto as a target for the eradication of corruption, collusion and nepotism, cannot be considered resolved simply because he died.
3. Suppression of democracy and freedom of speech. The New Order regime created an authoritarian political system by emasculating and forcing the fusion of the political parties into only three parties, limiting press and academic freedom, controlling art works and artist organisations, implementing the Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI as it was known then) dual function (dwi-fungsi) doctrine which resulted in the military being involved in politics and civilian government, and suppressing the voices of the opposition. In fact the entire social and political infrastructure and the institutions of the Republic of Indonesia had been destroyed by the time Suharto made his speech announcing his unwillingness to continue his administration (his resignation) on May 21, 1998, and he never took responsibility for this.
4. Unequal social and economic impacts. Despite the often-lauded economic stability, Suharto's policies created wide socio-economic disparities. Development was concentrated in Java, neglecting other regions. The transmigration program led to horizontal conflicts with local populations. The 1998 monetary crisis demonstrated the fragility of an economic foundation built on KKN practices.
Therefore, we ask YOU to reject the awarding of the title of national hero to retired General H.M. Suharto by ignoring and not accepting the proposal submitted by the Titles Board which has caused a great deal of controversy since the proposal process began. Currently, YOUR popularity as President of the Republic of Indonesia is quite high in Indonesia and internationally. Don't let YOUR agreement to award the title of national hero to Suharto be counter-productive and damage YOUR authority and good name. YOUR actions in conferring the title of national hero on Suharto will be a clear sign of the death of reformasi (the political reform process that began with Suharto's resignation in 1998) in Indonesia.
The act of awarding the title of national hero to Suharto, who is in fact was YOUR father-in-law, is a conflict of interest that will invite widespread criticism. The public will compare YOU with former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who refused to give the title of national hero to Sarwo Edhie Wibowo (his father-in-law) on the grounds of a conflict of interest. YOU will receive a response of rejection from tens of millions of Indonesian Generation Z (Genzi) which is difficult to contain because they are part of a global network that is not affiliated with any official organisation. These independent-minded Indonesian Genzi will note the decision to make Suharto a national hero as a black page in their lives.
Awarding Suharto the title of national hero is not only a betrayal of the victims and democratic values, but also a betrayal of reformasi as well as a dangerous blurring of history for the younger generation. This title is only worthy of being awarded to those who truly fight for freedom, justice, humanity and the sovereignty of the people; not to leaders whose tenures are marred by authoritarianism and violations of their people's human rights.
We want to invite all elements of the nation to learn from history clearly and critically, taking lessons from past mistakes in order to build a more democratic, just Indonesia that respects human rights.
With respect,
Jakarta, October 31, 2025
The letter to the President and a list of supporters can be downloaded here: https://ylbhi.or.id/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Surat-Kepada-Presiden-List-Pendukung-4-November-2025-pukul-11.04-WIB.docx
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Surat Untuk Presiden: Tolak Gelar Pahlawan Nasional Soeharto".]