Zakharov Anton

New Indonesian Civil Medals and Their Functioning

ЮГО-ВОСТОЧНАЯ АЗИЯ: АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ РАЗВИТИЯ, 2023, №1(58), 227-243

 
Annotation: The award system of the Republic of Indonesia has changed significantly due to democratization reforms of the late twentieth—early twenty first centuries. Functioning of its orders, decorations, and medals reveals interactions of the state and the society as well as establishing of new hierarchies and group solidarity. The article sums up the data of legal acts and open source and outlines the functioning of Tanda Jasa Medali and new medals Satyalancana for civilians which were instituted by Presidents Megawati Sukarnoputri and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Despite the term Medali, a group of Tanda Jasa looks like new orders. The first and senior of them—Medali Kepeloporan (Medal of Pioneership)—was awarded 17 times only. All Tanda Jasa have breast stars as well as neck badge, and occupy high places in the order hierarchy of Indonesia. There are five new medals Satyalancana for civilians. The Satyalancana Karya Bhakti Praja Nugraha (Medal for Improving Regional Governance), Satyalancana Pendidikan (Medal for Service in the Field of Education) and Satyalancana Dharma Olahraga (Medal for Contribution in the Field of Sports) are awarded more often than Satyalancana Kepariwisataan (Medal for Tourism) did. There is no evidence of real functioning of the Satyalancana Dharma Pemuda (Medal for Youth Contribution). It probably reflects a strong age hierarchy in the Indonesian society.

Keywords: Indonesia, state, awards, medals, education, civil service, tourism, sport