"Petition of Fifty", Panscasila, President Suharto
- Artist/Author/Producer: "Petition of Fifty"
- Confronting Bodies: Suharto Government
- Dates of action: May 1980
- Location: Indonesia
- Description of the Art Work
- "... In May 1980, Suharto faced a.. challenge when a group of 50
people, including two former prime ministers, several ex-cabinet
ministers and a number of retired generals, submitted a document to
parliament -the so called "Petition of Fifty"- criticizing Suharto's use
of Pancasila to suppress dissent. Even more threatening was a separate
statement presented simultaneously to the legislature by retired Gen.
Mohammad Jasin, one of the 50... "
- Description of incident
-
"... Jasin harshly attacked Suharto's "hypocrisy and corruption,"
asking how any anti-corruption drive could ever succeed if the president
himself was dishonest. The general provided a detailed account purporting
to show how Suharto had been given a 750 hectare cattle ranch south of
Jakarta. The government tried to stop dissemination of Jasin's
information, immediately telephoning newspaper editors with instructions
to ignore the letter."
- Results of incident
- "... But the underground news network had already swung into
operation. Within a few hours of the authorities order not to report on
the Jasin statement, the document was being photocopied and distributed
on University campuses across Indonesia.. "
Source: A Fund for Free Expression Report, "Off Limits and Corruption", July
1991, pg. 34
