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)