'Govt critic Munir was a hero'

'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