Petition of Fifty

The Petition of Fifty (Indonesian: Petisi 50) was a document protesting then President Suharto's use of state philosophy Pancasila against political opponents. Issued on 5 May 1980 as an "Expression of Concern", it was signed by fifty prominent Indonesians including former Army Chief of Staff Nasution, former Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin[1] and former prime ministers Burhanuddin Harahap and Mohammad Natsir.

The critics suggested that: Suharto regarded himself as the embodiment of Pancasila; that Suharto regarded any criticism of himself as criticism of the philosophy of the Indonesian state;[2] Suharto used Pancasila "as a means to threaten political enemies"; Suharto approved dishonourable actions by the military; soldiers' oaths were put above the constitution; and that soldiers were urged "to choose friends and enemies based solely on Suharto's assessment".[3]

  1. ^ "Former governor Ali Sadikin, freedom fighter SK Trimurti die". Jakarta Post. 21 May 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2008.
  2. ^ Ricklefs (1991), p. 306.
  3. ^ Bresnan, John Managing Indonesia: The Modern Political Economy, New York: Columbia University, 1993 p. 207. Cited in Friend, T. (2003). Indonesian Destinies. Harvard University Press. pp. 179. ISBN 0-674-01137-6.