'Hero' must be redefined<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
When Time magazine named Indonesian folk singer and youth idol
\nIwan Fals as one of Asia's contemporary heroes in 2002 for his
\ndefiant take on former president Soeharto's dictatorship, it was
\napparent that he had redefined the concept of heroism or in the
\nwords of Iwan's idol Bob Dylan Times They Are A Changing.<\/p>\n
The same magazine named Butet Manurung, another young figure
\nin its selection of Asia's heroes in 2004, a little known
\nconservationist who lent her hand to educating the country's
\nindigenous people deep in Sumatra's woodlands.<\/p>\n
As time goes by, heroes from bygone eras will have little
\nrelevance to current conditions and a new definition of a hero is
\nneeded, historian Asvi Warman Adam of the Indonesian Institute of
\nSciences (LIPI) says.<\/p>\n
The government, he says, must diversify its selection of
\nfigures it awards the title of national hero to, so as to include
\npersons whose contribution is more relevant to current
\nconditions.<\/p>\n
The titles do not have to relate to the past by selecting
\nfreedom fighters or military figures.<\/p>\n
\"The primary consideration is whether or not the figures have
\nfought selflessly for a good cause, regardless of their
\npolitical, social or ethnic background,\" Asvi told The Jakarta
\nPost on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
His statement came as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono named
\nfive freedom fighters national heroes to mark Heroes Day, which
\nfalls on Nov. 10.<\/p>\n
Asvi said people like rights campaigner Munir could be
\ndeclared a national hero for his contribution to human rights.<\/p>\n
\"If the public thinks that Munir deserves the title, relevant
\norganizations or people in his home province of East Java can
\npropose that the government declare him a national hero,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The State Secretariat singles out figures to be awarded from
\nnames proposed by the Ministry of Social Services, which receives
\nentries from provincial governments.<\/p>\n
The President issues a government regulation to confer the
\ntitles on the selected figures. Families or relatives of the
\nawardees are entitled to financial support from the government.<\/p>\n
Asvi said the government had not done justice to scores of
\nfigures who -- despite their indispensable contribution to the
\ncountry's independence -- were excluded from history books and
\nnot given the credit they deserved, because of their political
\nstance or simply their ethnicity.<\/p>\n
\"We have a freedom fighter named John Lie who broke through a
\nmilitary blockade imposed by the Allied troops in 1947 to
\npurchase weapons for our fighters from neighboring countries. But
\nhe was not recognized as a hero simply because he was a Chinese-
\nIndonesian,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, senior historian Taufiq Abdullah said that the
\nonly quality that made an individual eligible for the title was
\ntheir untainted record in serving the country.<\/p>\n
\"Such a criteria will prevent the government from awarding the
\ntitle indiscriminately,\" he told the Post.<\/p>\n
He suggested that more titles be given to local heroes to
\nhonor the regions' contribution to Indonesia's independence.<\/p>",
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