Suharto Receives 50 Petitions For Misinterpreting Pancasila For Politics

Former Indonesian President Suharto (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

JAKARTA - Suharto is a controversial figure. His leadership gave birth to many discussions. Including his move to use Pancasila to threaten political opponents in 1980. He was criticized by 50 national figures for that. The outcry became known as Petition 50.

The echo of the anti-critical New Order (Orba) government machine is common knowledge. Any form of difference of opinion is no longer considered as an input. In fact, criticism is a form of vitamin in the life of the state.

Moreover, those who give criticism - in the eyes of the regime - are considered as enemies of the state. In fact, the regime always uses moves to spread fear to silence discordant voices.

The fruit, the strength of the opposers, if any, becomes weak, even wrinkled. This effort to spread fear also appeared at the opening of the Meeting of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Indonesia (ABRI) in Pekanbaru, Riau on 27 March 1980.

During the event, Suharto was deemed to have abused ABRI by saying that an attack on him meant an attack on Pancasila. With that attitude, Suharto has abused the philosophy of the nation as well as the basis of the state, Pancasila.

"In his mandate, the president mentioned the process of drafting the Bill on Political Parties and Working Groups," said Mohammad Natsir as quoted by Thohir Luth in M. Natsir's book: Da'wah and His Thoughts (1999).

Former Indonesian President Suharto (Source: geheugen.delpher.nl)

"According to the president, this law still includes the existence of basic principles and characteristics, showing that there are still political parties that do not fully believe in Pancasila as an ideology. This is proof that they still have doubts about Pancasila ... The President then invited ABRI to Be careful in choosing friends because it is proven that there are still groups who do not fully believe in Pancasila.”

The view of misinterpreting Pancasila then continued. It is noted that Suharto repeated the same narrative in a speech without text on the 28th anniversary of the Sandhi Yudha Troops Command -- now the Special Forces Corps -- in Cijantung, Jakarta, April 17, 1980.

However, this time the speech was more personal. Suharto invited all soldiers of the Armed Forces to fight against attempts to change Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution, including maintaining his authority as head of state from policy opponents.

"Instead of us using weapons in the face of changes to the 1945 Constitution and Pancasila, it is better for us to kidnap one person than two-thirds (members of the People's Consultative Assembly) who want to make changes," Suharto said in his speech.

The Birth of Petition 50

Suharto's statement then brought a lot of criticism. The most memorable criticism in history is the statement of concern from 50 national figures, which later became widely known as the Petisi 50 group. The group was a fusion of two existing groups such as the Institute for Awareness of the Constitution, which was established in June 1978, and the Army Communications and Studies Forum. Indonesian National Army.

“In the first institution, there were figures such as Mohammad Hatta, General Abdul Harris Nasution, Akhmad Subarjo, General Hoegeng Iman Santosa, Sabam Sirait, Mochtar Lubis, Chris Siner Key Timu, and Marsillam Simandjuntak. The second group was led by Major General Achmad Soekendro, General AY Mokoginta, and a number of retired generals,” wrote Wahyu Dhyatmika et al in an article in Tempo Magazine entitled A Number of Actions and Mirrors (2008).

Broadly speaking, the Petition 50 group is inhabited by various groups. Starting from politicians, bureaucrats, retired generals, businessmen, intellectuals, to preachers. At the same time they drafted a statement of concern (petition) against the New Order government under the banner of Suharto's power.

The petition was made with the aim that Suharto would not forget himself. The rest, so that the Suharto regime does not act as it pleases in spreading fear. The petition contains six important points. First, there is a prejudice that there is polarization among the people between those who want to "preserve Pancasila" and those who want to "replace" Pancasila.

Second, Misinterpreting Pancasila so that it can be used to threaten political opponents. Third, justify actions that are not commendable by those in power to carry out plans to annul the 1945 Constitution.

Fourth, convincing ABRI to take sides based on the considerations of the authorities. Fifth, giving the impression that he is the personification of Pancasila so that any rumors about him will be interpreted as anti-Pancasila.

Former Indonesian President Suharto (Source: geheugen.delpher.nl)

Sixth, making accusations that there are various plans of evil deeds in the face of the upcoming elections. As a result, 30 prominent figures from the Petition 50 group came to the DPR/MPR RI Building in Senayan, Jakarta on May 13, 1980.

They want the constitution to be run honestly and fairly. Even with the 1945 Constitution which must be implemented purely and consistently. As a result, they submitted to the DPR and signed Petition 50.

The petition is understood as a form of criticism of Suharto who tarnished Pancasila. Because, Pancasila was used as a patent effort to silence political opponents and perpetuate the power of the New Order. Which, it is far from cheap Pancasila as a unifier of the nation.

“In the past, Pancasila served as a meeting point and a unification, with the spirit of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, now it is the opposite. Given the function to get rid of the characteristics that have been lived from time to time by national groups, long before Pancasila was formulated," said Adian Husaini in the book Pancasila Not to Suppress the Constitutional Rights of Muslims (2009).

Suharto who is too strong

Former Indonesian President Suharto (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

Seeing the criticism from the Petition 50 group, the New Order government is like a beard. As usual, the New Order, which was not ready to accept criticism, immediately responded by limiting the movement of the figures from the Petisi 50 group.

In a sense, members of Petisi 50 were treated like non-persons by the Suharto regime. They are banned from abroad, cannot attend social events, thoughts, so that their words cannot appear in the mass media.

Not only that, since 1980 the mass media have been prohibited from publishing or reporting on Petition 50. Suharto's hatred towards members of the Petition 50 group was also shown if someone invited Suharto to a wedding party.

The New Order regime will ask the event owner to confirm the absence of Petition 50 members in the celebration. As a result, some remained in the Petition 50 group by continuing to criticize as the opposition, some turned back to support the government because they were not strong enough to be banned.

“AH Nasution, then with the help of BJ Habibie, tried to remove the ban on traveling abroad against him by changing his attitude towards the Suharto government. As a result, Nasution was appointed a five-star Grand General. Such a thing did not happen with Aziz Saleh and others who consistently adhered to the Petisi 50 principle,” concluded Rosihan Anwar in the book “Petite Histoire” Indonesia Small History Volume 5 (2012).

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