'Govt critic Munir was a hero'

The government names new heroes every year, although many people often find it difficult to recognize them, or their works or contributions to the nation. In commemoration of Heroes Day on Nov. 10, The Jakarta Post asked people who they deemed to be national heroes.

Fahmi, 37, is a trader in the Tanah Abang market, Central Jakarta. He lives in the Kebon Jeruk subdistrict, West Jakarta:

Heroes? I don't see any heroes, except for our forefathers who fought against the colonialists. If you ask me about new heroes, I do not see anyone who could be so categorized.

A hero is a person who is ready to struggle for others or for the nation. I think now people just struggle for their own interests.

We often hear from politicians who say that they struggle in the interests of the people, particularly prior to election campaigns. But after they become members of the House of Representatives, all promises are forgotten.

Many of them only think about how they can get as much money as possible while they have power. They do not care that many people, for example, are suffering as a result of the recent fuel price hikes.

If you ask me about heroes, I will name those in the history books such as Sukarno, Mohamad Hatta, Imam Bonjol and Diponegoro.

Utomo, 42, is a resident of Rawabambu subdistrict, Central Jakarta. He is a public minivan driver serving the Tanah Abang to Meruya route:

For me, Munir (the murdered human right activist) is a hero. Although he received threats from various parties, he never gave up criticizing the government's poor performance in fighting human rights violations.

Munir was a courageous human rights activist. He knew the consequences of his activities. The government should declare him a human rights hero.

Another hero is the late Baharuddin Lopa, the former attorney general, who died of a mysterious disease in Saudi Arabia. He never compromised in fighting against white collar criminals.

I believe there was correlation between his death and the intensive investigation into corruption at his office.

Like Munir, Lopa is also a courageous person, who deserves to be declared a hero.

-- The Jakarta Post