Three people nominated for awards<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government will propose the names of three
\npeople to be conferred posthumously with this year's title of
\nnational heroes, Minister of Social Services Inten Soeweno said
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
Inten said the three were selected from names submitted by
\nmembers of the public.<\/p>\n
She declined to disclose the names because they had not been
\napproved by President Soeharto, but said that they came from
\nMaluku, Riau and South Sulawesi, the Antara news agency reported.<\/p>\n
The titles are normally conferred to their descendants before
\nIndependence Day on Aug. 17 or National Heroes Day on Nov. 10.
\nIndonesia marks its 50th independence anniversary this August.<\/p>\n
Inten yesterday presided over a plenary meeting of BPPK, an
\nagency to supervise the affairs of national heroes and their
\nwidows. The agency is supervised by her office.<\/p>\n
Two other names, one from Central Kalimantan and another from
\nYogyakarta, are still being considered for the hero's title. But
\nfive others -- one each from West Sumatra, South Sulawesi, North
\nSumatra, Aceh and East Nusa Tenggara -- have been rejected
\nbecause they did not fulfill the criteria, she said.<\/p>\n
Her announcement came only two days after the Indonesian Ulema
\nCouncil (MUI) called on the government to confer the national
\nhero awards to Mohammad Natsir and Sjafruddin Prawiranegara, two
\nrenowned Moslem figures who were also prominent national leaders
\nin the early years of Indonesia's independence.<\/p>\n
MUI, according to a report by Republika daily, on Saturday
\nproposed the titles to the national committee for the preparation
\nof the 50th Independence anniversary. MUI also proposed Kasman
\nSingadimejo, Sholeh Iskandar and Nur Ali.<\/p>\n
"The contribution of these Moslem fighters were immense,"
\nRepublika quoted MUI chairman Hasan Basri as saying.<\/p>\n
Natsir, who hailed from West Sumatra, was Indonesia's prime
\nminister in 1950-51 and served in the government and House of
\nRepresentatives in the 1940s and 1950s. He died in February 1993.<\/p>\n
Sjafruddin was from West Java and served in the first
\nadministrations of the republic. He was president of the
\nprovisional government set up in 1948 when all the civilian
\nleaders in Jakarta were arrested by the Dutch military during the
\nstruggle for independence. He died in February 1989.<\/p>\n
Both men lost favor with Sukarno, Indonesia's first president,
\nand later with President Soeharto. Active in promoting the
\nIslamic cause, they remained critical of the administration.<\/p>\n
Minister Inten yesterday also announced that there were only
\n787 persons remaining who could be considered as "pioneers of
\nindependence", and 3,470 widows of pioneers.<\/p>\n
The list of these pioneers at one time reached 7,888 but most
\nof them have passed away, she said.<\/p>\n
The title is awarded to people who made significant
\ncontributions before and during independence. The title confers
\nthe holders with certain privileges including governmental
\nfinancial assistance.<\/p>\n
Although the government stopped awarding the title of pioneers
\nof independence since 1987, the BPPK, the agency that manages
\ntheir affairs, has not been dissolved.<\/p>\n
Inten said the agency has another mission which is to preserve
\nand develop the pioneering spirit for the benefit of present day
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, Inten appointed seven members of BPPK executive
\nboard with Hamid Algadri as chairman and Ali Amran Taher,
\nF.Suhartinah, I Wangsa Wijaya, Brig. Gen. Slamet Sugiardjo, Col.
\nSuko Martono and Lt. Col Hadi as members. (emb)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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