Debates on Pancasila Day resumed
Debates on Pancasila Day resumed
JAKARTA (JP): Debates on the birth of the state ideology
Pancasila, which have taken place periodically for the last
several years, resumed yesterday in a discussion among historians
and former revolutionary fighters.
A.B. Koesoemo and historian G. Moendjatno urged the government
to publicly disclose some newly-found documents which will decide
once and for all whether Pancasila was established on June 1,
1945, or Aug. 18, or May 29 of the same year.
The documents, known as the Pringgodigdo papers, are
reportedly now kept by the Center of National Archives. They are
expected to clarify whether the ideology was created by first
President Soekarno, or by the nationalist movement activist M.
Yamin.
Koesoemo, a staff-lecturer at the University of Indonesia,
said the documents had been kept in an institution in the
Netherlands. The documents were actually minutes of the meetings
of BPUPKI, a body in charge of the preparation of Indonesia's
independence.
More recent reports, however, revealed that the documents were
returned to Indonesia and contained evidence that the late M.
Yamin was not the one who created Pancasila, as some people here
believe, Koesoemo said.
Koesoemo said he was convinced that the late President
Soekarno was the first person to speak about the five principles
of Pancasila in his June 1, 1945 speech. Therefore, Soekarno was
the creator of the ideology, he concluded.
"I call on the State Secretariat to disclose the documents in
order to clear up the confusion," he said. "Authentic documents
are absolute condition to find the truth."
Moedjanto seconded Koesoemo's recommendation, agreeing that it
would help end the ongoing controversy. Quoting a number of
sources, he reaffirmed that "the suggestion that (Indonesia)
accept Pancasila came from Soekarno, not Yamin".
The discussion was held by the YAPETA, an organization
consisting of former volunteer soldiers during the revolutionary
years of 1940s.
It was attended by former senior diplomat Dahlan Ranuwihardjo,
politician J. Naro, Indonesia's ambassador at-large for Non-
Aligned countries in the Middle East Alamsyah Ratuperwiranegara,
members of the National Committee for Human Rights Marzuki
Darusman, Brig. Gen. (ret.) Roekmini Koesoemo Astoeti and Bambang
Soeharto.
N.Notosusanto
Debates about the actual date of the birth of Pancasila
started in the early 1980s, after leading historian Nugroho
Notosusanto declared that M. Yamin was the first man to ever
speak about Indonesia's ideology, which was later called
Pancasila (the Five Principle).
The late Notosusanto also said that Soekarno, on the other
hand, was only the first man to ever call the principles
Pancasila during his speech on June 1, 1945.
Nugroho's statement created an uproar, especially among
academics and those who were involved in the revolution and the
founding of the republic.
Some people linked the debates to the domestic political
development at the time. They called Nugroho's statement
"political engineering" to banish Soekarno's influence and
discount his great contribution to the country.
The debates had never been completely solved because the
government has yet to clarify its stance on the issue or decide
which day should the Indonesian people celebrate as Pancasila
Day.
For the last several years, June 1 was celebrated as Pancasila
Day. Following the debates, however, Aug. 18 began to be accepted
as the date for Indonesia to commemorate the birth of its state
ideology. (swe)