Information about Sukarno 'distorted' during New Order

JAKARTA (JP): Political restrictions imposed by the New Order regime have contributed to the younger generations' ignorance about founding president Sukarno, Guruh Irianto Soekarnoputra said during a book launch here on Saturday.

"During the New Order period we could not talk about Sukarno in a proper way. Whatever information there was about Sukarno sometimes I feel was distorted," said Sukarno's youngest son, who is a noted artist in his own right.

During the New Order era, Sukarno was a frequent target of political attacks.

A series of books on Sukarno's thoughts on democracy, economics, international affairs and Islam, and a biography by Dr. Lambert J. Giebels, a Dutch political scientist, were launched at the Hotel Santika in Jakarta. All of the books are published by Grasindo.

Film clips of Sukarno from the 1950s and 1960s were shown at the opening of the event, receiving a warm applause from an audience of about 400.

The book launch is one of numerous events being put on by a Jakarta-based committee, of which Guruh is a board member, to mark the 100th anniversary of Sukarno's birth.

Guruh, who heads the Bung Karno Foundation, unveiled his plan to establish the Sukarno Center, which will comprise a museum, library, research center and the various collections of Sukarno.

"All of the collections of Sukarno will be devoted to the people," Guruh said, while making an appeal for financial support for the multibillion rupiah project.

Sukarno was known as a great art lover and an ardent collector of artwork.

The event was highlighted by addresses from committee chairman Dahlan Ranuwihardja and historian Taufik Abdullah, and closed with a question and answer session led by Kris Biantoro. (hbk)