IO – Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto attended the Heroes’ Day commemoration, an event that doubled with the inauguration of the new General Soedirman statue on the West Ring Road, Yogyakarta, yesterday, 10 November 2020. Prabowo confirmed that he was representing President Joko Widodo in the event, “…as the President was unable to come,” as he said in his opening speech that night. which was also attended by the Governor of DI Yogyakarta Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and former Head of the National Intelligence Agency (Badan Intelijen Negara – “BIN”) A. M. Hendropriyono.
Prabowo took the opportunity to encourage all elements of society to remember and constantly respect the great deeds of the heroes who fought so hard to win and protect Indonesia’s independence. “A great nation knows how to honor its heroes,” he said. “As the inheriting generation who deal with the discharge of our Independence, we should always appreciate each drop of blood shed by the warriors of the country. Nobody will respect heroes other than their own people – other people will not respect our heroes if we don’t. Let us not even dream about it – everyone respects their own heroes. Or at least they should.”
He further states that our current Independence is the fruit of the labor and sacrifice of our heroes, and we should take our example from them.
“One of the grandest among them was Great Commander General Soedirman. He was amazing – as the first Commander of the Indonesian National Army, even though he was deathly ill, he forced himself to get out of bed to lead the fight against the Dutch, who were raining bombs on Maguwo Airport here in Yogyakarta on 19 December 1948. His is but one of the many shining examples given to us by the freeing generation, and they mean a lot to us, as the inheriting generation,” he said.
Prabowo further expressed his appreciation to Army General A. M. Hendropriyono for having initiated the event. “The milestone we commemorate tonight reminds us to be united, to be integrated, and to not take our independence for granted,” he said. (Dan)