Honor history, look ahead: Soeharto<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Glorify history by all means, but get on with
\nlife too.<\/p>\n
That's the message from President Soeharto to a group of
\nbygone student leaders who played a prominent role in defending
\nthe state ideology Pancasila against the onslaught of communism
\nin the mid-1960s.<\/p>\n
\"We should not remain as mere admirers of history, no matter
\nhow great it was,\" Soeharto told the former student leaders.\"But
\nwe have to rise and start working for today and tomorrow.\"<\/p>\n
\"We don't only inherit history. We have to make history,\" he
\nsaid to some 400 participants of the opening of the three-day
\ncongress of the Ikatan Keluarga Besar Laskar Ampera Arief Rachman
\nHakim, an association of former student activists of the 1960s.<\/p>\n
\"We don't want to be entrapped by past history. We have to
\nlearn and gain inspiration from history...but...our task now and
\ntomorrow is to continue our development effort,\" Soeharto said.<\/p>\n
The group mobilized massive street demonstrations in 1966
\nagainst then president Sukarno to demand that the Indonesian
\nCommunist Party (PKI) be outlawed. The party was blamed for the
\nplot to take power on Sept. 30, 1965.<\/p>\n
The party was banned on March 11, 1966, at the initiative of
\nSoeharto, then still a young Army general, after he was given
\npower by Sukarno to undertake steps to restore peace and order.<\/p>\n
Soeharto told the former activists yesterday that theirs was a
\nmovement in defense of the state ideology Pancasila against
\ncommunism's growing influence in the country.<\/p>\n
The association, according to Soeharto, \"was born as the
\nguardian of the mandate of the new Order.\"<\/p>\n
The association grabbed the limelight recently following a
\nsenior columnist's allegation that their anti-sukarno
\ndemonstration in 1966 was funded by American Central Intelligence
\nAgency (CIA).<\/p>\n
The association pledged last week that they would file suit
\nfor slander against Manai Sophiaan, whose book Kehormatan Bagi
\nYang Berhak (Honor for the One Who Deserves It) exempted Sukarno
\nfrom any involvement with the communists.<\/p>\n
Manai was reported by Tiara magazine to also have said that
\nthe students' yellow jackets were \"made in Hawaii\" and that their
\nstreet demonstration against communism were \"mere parades\".<\/p>\n
The association's complaint was filed this week.<\/p>\n
One former activist, Minister of Public Housing Akbar
\nTandjung, said last week that the students' movement, which
\neventually toppled the old regime and ushered in the New Order
\nera, was \"pure and spontaneous, solely to defend Pancasila\".<\/p>\n
Soeharto said in his speech yesterday that Tritura, three
\ndemands against Sukarno's regime made by the students at the
\ntime, \"holds a special place\" in the nation's heart.<\/p>\n
The three demands were the abolition of the PKI, the sweeping
\nout of communist elements from Sukarno's cabinet, and the
\nreduction of prices of basic commodities.<\/p>\n
Soeharto said the demands reflected the students' wish to
\ndefend Pancasila, to build a government which was loyal to the
\nstate ideology, and for economic reforms.<\/p>\n
\"Tritura was born because of the youths...proving yet again
\nhow great was the role of the youths in the nation's struggle,
\ndevelopment and growth,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Soeharto said the true essence of development is the
\ndevelopment of the people and society. \"This means that
\nIndonesian people are both the actors and the products of
\ndevelopment,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Through development, we keep on striving to increase the
\nquality of life of our people,\" he said. Therefore, \"We need
\ndiscipline, self confidence, skills and professionalism in
\nmanaging our resources, as well as the society's initiative and
\ncreativity.\"<\/p>\n
Soeharto also said that to build the future, the youths should
\ndevelop their self confidence, \"spirit of professionalism\", self-
\nreliance and creativity. (swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/honor-history-look-ahead-soeharto-1447893297",
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