Suharto – A national hero?

What is the massage the Indonesian government sending to the young generation of Indonesia? – What moral values Suharto’s heritage can teach the Indonesian young students?

Most of the democratic sophisticated societies do not have an institution called ‘National Heroes’. It is assumed that heroes in democratic society should be personal, based on individual conscience, values, and political opinions. To impose ‘National Heroes’ on a society and its education system is a paternalist step aimed to indoctrinating the people about the right values they should adhere to. So, it can be understood, why such official titles are not so common in modern vibrant democracies.

Now, let’s examine the moral values Mr. Suharto’s heritage gave the Indonesian society:

• Dictatorship as a preferred form of leadership.
• Crimes against humanity in 1965-6 all over Indonesia, and later in Aceh, East Timor, and West Papua.
• Using of thugs and security forces for intimidation, torturing and killing of political opponents.
• Corruption.
• Using national resources as his family own business.
• Impunity for all kind of crimes committed in his name.
• Civil service as society masters, not servants.
  

Now, can someone suggest some good moral values, the Indonesian students can adapt from Suharto personality? – Not an easy task…

So, why the Indonesian government is suggesting this man as national hero? - Since most of the Indonesian elite of today were not moral opponents (an understatement) of Suharto when he committed the above crimes, - it can be assumed that moral values are not something they see as important. There are more chances they want to clean their dirty past as Suharto’s collaborators. If Suharto will be declared as a national hero, - who can prosecute them for crimes they committed in the name and order of a national hero???

By the way, the list of national heroes is currently tainted with, at least, one name: Imam Bonjol. This guy was not much different than current Taliban terrorists, Bali bombers, and other terrorists the Indonesian security forces are fighting against these days. He started his violent career as a devote Muslim who want to purify his people, the Minangkabau, from their traditional un-Islamic traditions, like the unique matrilineal heritage they had. The Minangkabau elite oppose his attempts, and Imam Bonjol‘s terrorists killed the whole of Minangkabu’s royal family as a response. The defenseless traditional leaders of Minangkabau look for help. The only available power where the Dutch forces. The Dutch fought against Iman Bonjol’s terrorists, and this gave Imam Bonjol a status of a National Hero. Is this not a shame for Indonesia?

The Indonesian civil society should fight against the attempts of the collaborators of Suharto in his crimes against humanity, to declare Suharto as an Indonesian national hero. Likewise, if they find the list of national heroes as valuable, - they must, at least, clean it from Taliban style terrorists. These kinds of heroes and democracy are not going together.

(The article was published in www.thejakartapost.com)