Don't corrupt history, says Vice President

JAKARTA (JP): Vice President Try Sutrisno warned historians yesterday against corrupting history for the sake of a particular cause.

He underlined the importance of history in preserving the values of the past, especially the fighting spirit of the forefathers who won Indonesia independence.

Try's remarks came at the opening of a four-day congress of the Indonesian Historical Society.

People should be able to pick up the spirit and significance of historical events and apply it to present day situations, said the vice president.

Try called history a foundation for the future, which the present can fall back on.

Meanwhile, the chief organizer of the congress, Edi Sedyawati, explained the congress was a continuation of the five historical seminars held by the society.

The first historical seminar was held in Yogyakarta in 1957. "It was a formal event aimed at finding a historical and methodological basis for what has been called 'Indonesian National History'," said Edi, who is also the Director General for Culture.

The 265 participants in the current congress, held at Hotel Indonesia, have gathered around the theme, A Dialog on the Past to Open Up the Present and Plan the Future.

At an afternoon session of the congress, the society inducted five new honorary members.

Historian Taufik Abdullah said in his presentation speech that the organization sought to honor non-historians who have contributed outstanding historical works.

Those inducted were former armed forces chief Abdul Haris Nasution, former minister of home affairs Ida Anak Agung Gede Agung, former governor of Aceh Ali Hasjmy, social scientist G.J. Resink, and the late Rusli Amran.

Only Nasution and Ali Hasjmy were present during yesterday's ceremony. Ida Anak Agung Gede Agung and Resink were unable to attend because of illness.

Taufik Abdullah highlighted the contributions of each honorary member that won them the distinction. Nasution's writings, he said, have become a foundation of Indonesian military history. Ida Anak Agung Gede Agung was recognized for his work in analyzing the Renville peace agreement.

Resink's contribution was his international legal approach to his study on Indonesian colonialism. Ali Hasjmy and Rusli Amran were lauded for their work in spotlighting the history of the Aceh and Minangkabau cultures.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Indonesian Historical Society, Noorhadi Magetsari, acknowledged that compared with other academic organizations, the Society has yet to produce concrete results.

With the aim of improving professionalism, the Society aims to boost the quality of graduates in the field history.

"Compared to the Indonesian Medical Association and The Indonesian Economists Association, the Historical Society has yet to show any real contribution to the community," he remarked. (mds)