Late Mrs. Tien Soeharto to be declared national heroine
Late Mrs. Tien Soeharto to be declared national heroine
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will declare the late First Lady Mrs.
Tien Soeharto a national heroine on Nov. 10 when the nation
commemorates National Heroes Day.
Suyono Yahya, the assistant to Coordinating Minister for
People's Welfare, revealed the plan to reporters yesterday after
a monthly meeting of cabinet ministers led by the coordinating
minister.
"The government will confer the national heroine title to Mrs.
Siti Hartinah Soeharto during the commemoration of Heroes Day. It
will also present the Mahaputra award to seven people for their
outstanding contributions to the country," Suyono said.
State Minister for Women's Roles Mien Sugandhi was the first
to propose that the heroine title should be conferred on Mrs.
Tien, who passed away on April 28 in Jakarta.
In May, the Central Board for Supervision of Heroes endorsed
the proposal after others made the same suggestion.
The board stated that the late first lady had made an
outstanding contribution to the country and had met all the
qualifications for the title.
Born on Aug. 23, 1923, Ibu Tien was widely known for her
charity work and her efforts to promote art and culture after she
became Indonesia's first lady almost 30 years ago.
Evidence of her monumental contribution includes the
establishment of Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, the Dharmais Cancer
Hospital, the Harapan Kita Coronary Hospital and several social
foundations.
The board also praised Mrs. Tien's role in the enactment of
the Marriage Law in 1974: landmark legislation to uphold the
dignity of Indonesian women. The bill became a source of
contention for many during its deliberation. One point of
contention was a clause making it difficult for men to practice
polygamy.
Mrs. Tien's contribution to the nation dates back to the
struggle for independence between 1945 and 1949, when she was in
the women's militia and the Red Cross in her hometown, Surakarta,
in Central Java.
It was during these years that she met Soeharto, who was a
member of the young Indonesian revolutionary army, fighting
against Dutch colonial forces.
Mrs. Tien has received many medals of honor, including the
first class Bintang Gerilya and Bintang Mahaputra awards. She has
also received 18 medals of honor from various countries.
At yesterday's meeting, Suyono named seven other late people
to receive Mahaputra awards.
They were H.E. Kowara Adiwinata, member of the Supreme
Advisory Board in from 1983 to 1988; Maj. Gen. (ret) Mas Isman, a
former legislator and sixth assistant to the Army Chief in 1968-
1970; Abdul Aziz, a former advisor to the Indonesian Journalists'
Association (PWI) and former chief editor of the Surabaya Post
daily; Zulharmans, a PWI advisor from 1983 to 1988 and former
chief editor of the Neraca business daily; and Hetami, a former
chief editor of Suara Merdeka daily in Semarang, Central Java.
Noted film director, the late Usmar Ismail, and former
chairperson of the Indonesian Film Artists' Association, the late
Suryo Sumanto, will also receive Mahaputra awards. (ste)