Govt urged to scrap decrees on Sukarno
JAKARTA (JP): The children of the late Sukarno, the country's independence proclamator and first president, is calling on the government to revoke two 30-year-old decrees which slapped their father with the stigma of being a "political detainee".
"We urge the government to scrap the more than a quarter- century-old decrees because they are against human rights, not to mention that Bung Karno fought for the country and the nation for his whole life," Sukarno's daughter Rachmawati Soekarnoputri said on her family's behalf yesterday before a large crowd in Blitar, East Java, about 170 kilometers south of Surabaya.
Tens of thousands had gathered at Sukarno's birthplace to commemorate the 28th anniversary of his death.
The commemoration began with prayers and Koran readings Saturday night, and peaked at about midnight with an address from Rachmawati and her sister Megawati Soekarnoputri.
It went on until the wee hours of yesterday morning with a visit to Sukarno's grave in the town.
Born on June 6, 1901, Sukarno, affectionately known as Bung Karno, became the nation's founding father and first president in 1945.
He held the post until 1966, after which he was impeached for his failure to condemn a failed communist coup a year earlier.
Soeharto was subsequently appointed by the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly as acting president.
Decrees 33 and 39, issued in 1967 by the assembly, effectively banished Sukarno from active politics up to his death in 1970.
Yet Sukarno's image remained prominent, and was bolstered when Megawati was elected to chair the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) in 1993. She was ousted at a disputed party congress in 1996.
Rachmawati, who also chairs the Sukarno Education Foundation, said her father had been maligned and wrongly accused following the alleged communist coup attempt.
She contended her father only sought to maintain the importance and independence of the national ideology, Pancasila.
New atmosphere
This year's celebration had a record turnout. A new atmosphere of apparent political openness under President B.J. Habibie's government meant there was little of the apprehension which clouded previous commemorations.
All of Sukarno's eight surviving children except Guruh Soekarnoputra, who had an art performance in Jakarta, attended the event.
Also present were senior statesman Ruslan Abdulgani, Moslem leader KH Muslim Imampuro, soothsayer Permadi and executives of the PDI under Megawati, Soetardjo Surjogoeritno and Haryanto Taslam.
Chairman of the East Java chapter of Moslem organization Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhyidin Suwondo, Blitar Regent Bambang Sukotjo and chairman of PDI's East Java chapter Sutjipto also attended.
Megawati, who initially seemed reluctant to take the stage, was persuaded by the crowd's urgings to say a few words at the end of the event.
She quickly dispelled any thoughts she might use the occasion to advance her own political ambitions.
"Actually, when I come to commemorate father's death, I come as a daughter of this country's founding father, not as the PDI leader.
"The commemoration should not be politicized, but it should be to remember Bung Karno's good deeds and teachings," she said to thunderous applause.
She urged people to work together as the nation confronts one of its most severe economic and political crises.
"The issue now is are we a big nation which is going to cry and weep for all the problems we are facing, or are we going to courageously fight them?" she said.
Megawati implored the nation to revive the fighting spirit of Sukarno to address the problems without relying on foreign aid.
Sukarno's enduring popularity was evident as individual commemorations were also held in several towns in Cental Java.
In Semarang, Magelang, Purbalingga and Kebumen, thousands attended ceremonies organized by PDI members loyal to Megawati.
Young and old wore T-shirts with Sukarno's or Megawati's image. Ceremonies featured prayers and speeches by community figures. (har/aan)