Apriadi Gunawan and Nana Rukmana, Medan/Cirebon – Mixed reactions have greeted a proposal to bestow national hero status upon controversial former president Soeharto.

In Medan, North Sumatra, an alliance of 24 non-governmental organizations, grouped under the Impeach Soeharto People's Committee, staged a massive rally Thursday at the provincial legislative council building in a show of opposition to the proposal.

The protesters said Soeharto, the country's second president who passed away on Jan. 27, did not deserve national hero status because of his alleged involvement in human rights violations during his rule.

They pointed to the killings in 1984 of Muslim protesters by soldiers in the Tanjung Priok area of Jakarta, as well as military operations in Aceh and Papua during Soeharto's 32-year reign.

One protester, Jiman Karo-Karo, 76, said it was inappropriate to honor Soeharto with hero status because of the allegations that continue to cast a cloud over his legacy. "It's not proper to grant the title... he was a human rights criminal," Jiman told protesters.

He said he was illegally jailed for 20 years during Soeharto's rule after being accused of subversion. Jiman said he was never tried and found guilty in a court of law, but was still jailed.

"To be frank, I've never forgiven Soeharto until now, even though he is already dead," he said. He said Soeharto should have been put to trial before he died so he could account for his political sins against the people.

Protest coordinator Johan said the alliance of NGOs was also demanding that the government immediately seize Soeharto's assets, as well as the assets of his family and cronies.

A council member from the Golkar Party who met with the protesters, Amas Muda Siregar, said giving official national hero status to Soeharto was still only a proposal that would have to be further discussed.

Although the Golkar Party is closely associated with Soeharto and his reign, Amas said the party respected the views of those opposed to the proposal. "We will forward the views to the central government," said Amas.

Extensive, and mostly positive TV coverage of Soeharto's death and his rule encouraged some people to call for the former president to be given official national hero status.

In Cirebon, West Java, residents are split over the proposal. Some people said they would support the idea, but only if all the legal issues still surrounding Soeharto were first resolved.

Dedi, an employee at a gas station in Cirebon, said Wednesday he did not care whatever was decided.

"What's the use of worrying about the issue. The leaders in Jakarta would never hear my voice. The issue has snowballed because people in Jakarta have made a fuss about it. I don't care whether Soeharto is given a title or not, because it won't have any impact on my life," he said.

A farmer in Kapetakan district in Cirebon regency, Yayat Supriyatna, 42, said he would like to see Soeharto honored because the former president cared about farmers when he was in office. "Compared to the other presidents, Pak Harto was the most caring toward farmers," said Yayat.

He said farmers never had trouble obtaining fertilizer when Soeharto was president. "Not like now when farmers often have difficulty getting fertilizer and seeds. They were always available during Pak Harto's time," he said.

An assistant lecturer at 17th August University in Cirebon, Lukman, 27, is conflicted over the issue. He agreed that Soeharto had done a lot for the country and people, but said there were also the unresolved human rights cases and graft charges surrounding the former president.

"The idea should be postponed until all legal matters implicating Soeharto and his family are settled," said Lukman.