JAKARTA - Suharto's rule marked the beginning of the New Order (Orba) regime. In Suharto's hands, the New Order was able to control history. The role of other national figures was reduced – from Soekarno to Mohamad Hatta, while Suharto's role was exaggerated. Suharto's heroism as the father of development to crushing the PKI is the most frequently heard in history books. This fragrant image became the origin of Suharto being able to rule Indonesia for 32 years.
Control of history during the New Order was taken seriously. For Suharto, controlling history is a gamble. Controlling the past is part of mastering the present. Moreover, Suharto is well aware of the narrative that says history is written by the victors. Thus, the writing of history was politicized, giving rise to a dominant role over the figure of Suharto.
After that, Suharto's history of being the son of a village farmer began to be strengthened. The goal is to inspire all the nation's children that only farmers' children can become president. As a result, the Indonesian people recognized Suharto as a great figure in history. Suharto is known as the father of development, the hero of the economy, the quencher of the PKI, and many others.
“Soeharto has another nickname. namely the Savior of Pancasila, Holding Firmly to the Constitution, Having a Sixth Sense, Uniting with the Aspiration of the Nation, Statesman at the Top of the Nation, and even the Plenary Leader. His assistants said, even though the general did not have a higher education, in fact he could bring this country to a better and more advanced direction,” said Feni Adi Soempeno in the book They Betray Me (2008).
Suharto realized that his image was clearly inferior to that of Sukarno. In preserving his image, Suharto immediately reduced Bung Karno's role from the nation's history. He issued a Presidential Decree on May 6, 1967, prohibiting Bung Karno from using all kinds of presidential titles and various other titles.
"Prabu" Suharto also issued an order to expel Bung Karno from the Merdeka Palace with a limit before August 17, 1967. Bung Karno's expulsion was also followed by Suharto's desire to reduce the role of other national figures so that Suharto's role was more prominent and others became extras in the nation's history.
“Thus, the roles of Sukarno, Sri Sultan Hamengkubowono IX, Bung Hatta and other figures were not highlighted. Roles other than Suharto are only shown on a secondary basis. They are only a complement and perhaps an extra player in the history of the nation's struggle. As a ruler, of course, Suharto can make history and construct heroic images of himself and his regime.”
“It may be true, if there is a proverb that says 'God created history, but only humans (read: rulers) can bend history.' In many ways, indeed, history is more often made and constructed by rulers. Rulers have always been victorious in the struggle for historical creation. And the truth of history is often discovered by honest people too late,” explained FX Baskara Tulus Wardaya in his book Uncovering the Mysteries of Suharto's Power (2007).
Suharto-style historical control
Efforts to strengthen the New Order's image then began to strengthen in government-sponsored history writing. The sponsorship is carried out in the form of a military history writing project, popular history, oral history and other activities. This step was able to form the perception in society that Suharto had the greatest contribution to the nation. Therefore, the average dream of young people in the 1970s was to be like Suharto.
“The end of the New Order marked the fall of Suharto from the presidency as a hope for enlightenment by historians who felt constrained by the New Order regime. State control over history is manifested through the themes of historical writing, strict supervision of history books so that the books in circulation pass through strict censorship.”
"The use of archives involves sensitive themes, teaching history to educational institutions from the elementary, junior high, and high school levels, where the historical material taught is based on the Indonesian National History book, in addition to history subjects, PSPB (Teaching History of the Nation Struggle) subjects also appear. )," wrote M. Faisal Aminuddin in the book Globalization and Neoliberalism: Its Influence and Impact on the Democratization of Indonesia (2009).
The act of raising Suharto's image also appeared in other mediums such as posters, billboards, monuments, and films. Both of them became a powerful tool for the New Order to "bend" history. One example is the General Offensive of March 1, 1949.
The event was exaggerated and even made a monument to commemorate the event. Suharto was also hailed as the initiator of the attack. In fact, two weeks earlier Suharto had actually been asked by Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX to the Yogyakarta palace. In a sense, the owner of the plan is Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX.
Similarly, the films Janur Kuning (1979), Serangan Fajar (1982), and the PKI G30S Betrayal Eradication (1984). The film was allegedly made to highlight Suharto's role. The massive image development created many other historical events for the stepchildren. All parts of history were only created from the New Order kitchen, which was best to keep Suharto in control of Indonesia for 32 years.
“The control of history depends on the "kitchen" in which history is processed: who is the historian. In which institution does he work? The more independent the institution/person who writes, the more autonomous the results of his work. If the kitchen of history is a party like in the former Soviet Union, history is a state affair. Everything is closely monitored because historians are dangerous people.”
“If the kitchen is a military institution, the emphasis is on state stability and security; if universities and research institutions, the orientation can be more spacious,” concluded Asvi Warman Adam in his paper entitled Historical Control During the Suharto Administration (1999).
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