Government to Announce Three National Heroes

Jakarta (Antara) - The government through the Appellation, Honors and Honorary Signs Council has announced its intention to recognize three individuals as national heroes in 2013. "These three figures will be awarded by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Friday (Nov. 8) at 4 p.m.," said Director General of Social Empowerment and Poverty Alleviation of the Social Affairs Ministry Hartono Laras on Thursday. The three individuals to be awarded the National Heroes title are Kanjeng Raden ( KRT ) Radjiman Wedyodiningrat of Jogjakarta, Lambertus Nicodemus Palar from North Sulawesi, and Lt. Gen. (Ret.) TB Simatupang of North Sumatra. Hartono said these three people were the finalists in a series of selections from among eight proposed candidates. Radjiman Wedyodiningrat was born in Jogjakarta on April 21, 1879, and was one of the founders of the Republic of Indonesia. He was the chairman of the Indonesian Independence Effort Investigation Preparation Agency. Lambertus Nicodemus Palar was a national figure who was born in Rurukan Tomohon, North Sulawesi, on June 5, 1900. He served as a representative of the Republic of Indonesia in several diplomatic positions in the United Nations. TB Simatupang was born in Sidikalang, North Sumatra, on Jan. 28, 1920. He was a military leader in Indonesia. Currently, his name is immortalized as one of the street names in the Cilandak area of South Jakarta. To date, the government has recognized 156 national heroes, where 32 of them have served the military and police. The government provides allowances of Rp1.5 million per month and Rp3 million in health assistance per year for each of these heroes' heirs. (*)