'Palar a diplomatic hero'

'Palar a diplomatic hero'

Imanuddin, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In observance of his remarkable contributions to the country's
foreign diplomacy, the government hinted on Friday at the
possibility of granting national hero status to the late diplomat
Lambertus Nicodemus (L.N.) Palar.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said Palar, the
first Indonesian envoy to the United Nations (UN), deserved a
state award as a national hero for his services.

"Palar contributed a lot to Indonesia's diplomacy in defending
the existence of the country's 1945 proclamation of
independence," Hassan said while addressing a seminar on
Remembering Diplomat/Ambassador L.N. Palar in Manado, North
Sulawesi, as quoted by Antara.

The seminar was organized by the Manado-based Sam Ratulangi
State University in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.

"The North Sulawesi provincial administration can propose (to
the central government) that L.N. Palar be declared a national
hero and be posthumously awarded with the highest medal of merit
of the Republic of Indonesia," the minister told the seminar,
which was also attended by North Sulawesi Governor A.J. Sondakh
and the university's rector J. Paruntu.

Palar was known as Indonesia's spokesman in the United Nations
Security Council (UNSC) forum on Indonesia from 1947 to 1950.

During that period, the world situation was very difficult due
to a conflict of interest with respect to national and
international orders, Hassan said.

However, Indonesia continued to step up foreign diplomacy as
no nation could be regarded as a state unless it was
internationally recognized by other countries, he said.

Palar was then appointed as the country's first envoy to the
world body when Indonesia was officially accepted as the 60th
member of the UN in 1950.

The Dutch-educated diplomat then served as Indonesian
ambassador to India, the former West Germany, the former Soviet
Union, and Canada before he was reappointed as the Indonesian
envoy to the UN until 1964, when Indonesia opted to quit its UN
membership. Indonesia rejoined the world body in 1965.

"So it is quite reasonable if the country's best son deserves
an award as a national hero," Hassan said.

Palar, who died in 1981, was once granted the Third Order
Medal of the Republic of Indonesia.