Politics of Recognition: Heroes, Victims and the Contest over History in Post-Suharto Indonesia

Abstract

The concepts of pahlawan (hero) and korban (victim) are central to the contest over history in post-Suharto Indonesia. The first of these concepts, pahlawan, is derived from the Persian term pahlavan meaning ‘champion’. While neither the Indonesian nor the Persian term is exclusively limited to use in the context of military action, the associated connotations of strength and bravery tend to foreground a militaristic conception of heroism at the expense of contributions in other fields. In Indonesia, the state has historically been one of the key promoters of this militaristic conception of heroism. Indeed, by establishing days of commemoration such as Hari Pahlawan (Heroes Day) and official titles such as Pahlawan Nasional (National Hero), the state has ensured that the concept of the hero who defends Indonesia from internal or external threats to its security has remained a conspicuous feature of official discourse about the nation’s past.