Southeast Asia: actual problems of development

[Yugo-Vostochnaya Azia: aktualnye problemy razvitiya] ISSN 2072-8271

Articles

Zakharov Anton

National Hero of Indonesia: Early History of the Title, 1959–1977

ЮГО-ВОСТОЧНАЯ АЗИЯ: АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ РАЗВИТИЯ, 2024, №1(62), 284-300

Рубрика: КУЛЬТУРА

 
Annotation: The awards system of Indonesia is an enigma. Indonesian orders, decorations and medals are not well-known but Indonesian titles are almost totally a black hole. There is at least one personal title which stands above all other Indonesian awards. The Law No. 20 of 2009 implies the only title (Gelar in Indonesian)—Pahlawan Nasional Indonesia, or National Hero of Indonesia. The title is awarded posthumously. There are 206 national heroes and heroines in the early 2024. The current list of national heroes includes 190 men and 16 women. The paper focuses on the history of the title since its institution in 1959 by President Sukarno till a temporal ceasing of its awarding in 1977 by President Suharto. It was initially bestowed to the state and military high officials who were just deceased and/or to the fighters for freedom of Indonesia during the War of Independence 1945–1949. It turned a legal practice which was officially proclaimed in the Presidential Decree (Peraturan) No. 33 of 1964. In 1965, the title was awarded to the generals who were killed during the 30 September Movement of Lieutenant Colonel Untung. The “New Order” of General Suharto suppressed the Movement and implemented anti-Communist purge. Suharto’s supporters from lower classes who were killed in 1965–1966 were conferred by the title Pahlawan AMPERA—Hero of People’s Suffering. The national heroes in 1968–1977 were anti-colonial fighters of the past, Suharto’s close associates and cultural and legal figures who played a crucial role in the Indonesian Independence.

Keywords: personal title, national hero, Indonesia, award system, Sukarno, Suharto, “New Order”

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