Social Media Sentiment Turns Negative on Plan to Honor Soeharto as National Hero

November 8, 2025 | 03:26 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A recent social media analysis by Drone Emprit shows that public sentiment toward the proposal to name former Indonesian president Soeharto a National Hero is largely negative.

According to Drone Emprit founder Ismail Fahmi, monitoring of social media platforms and online news portals from October 20 to November 7, 2025, revealed that 63 percent of social media conversations expressed negative sentiment, while 27 percent were positive and 11 percent neutral.

“The data shows a dominance of negative sentiment on social media, in contrast to online news coverage, which tends to be more positive,” Ismail said in a statement released on Saturday, November 8, 2025.

In contrast, 64 percent of online media coverage carried positive sentiment, followed by 29 percent negative and 6 percent neutral.

Polarized Reactions

Ismail explained that positive narratives mainly highlighted Soeharto’s achievements — such as economic growth, food self-sufficiency, national stability, and improved public welfare — as reasons why he might qualify for the National Hero title.

Supporters also cited endorsements from leaders of Muhammadiyah, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), and the Islamic Community Union (PUI).

However, negative sentiments portrayed Soeharto as a symbol of corruption, collusion, and nepotism (KKN), and a violator of human rights linked to the 1965–1966 anti-communist massacres.

Critics also condemned his repressive New Order policies, which they said suppressed political freedoms and marginalized Islamic groups.

Opponents argued that granting Soeharto the hero title would whitewash the authoritarian legacy of the New Order and undermine the 1998 Reform movement that ended his rule.

Some also noted the irony of honoring Soeharto while simultaneously considering the same title for his regime’s victims, such as Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) and labor activist Marsinah.

Hashtag Resistance and Digital Polarization

Drone Emprit’s analysis found strong digital activism opposing the proposal, with hashtags like #SoehartoIsNotAHero and #RejectSoehartoHeroTitle trending widely.

“Influencers rejecting Soeharto’s nomination generated far higher and more organic engagement compared to those supporting it,” Ismail said.

He noted that social media users expressed concern that bestowing the title could erase the spirit of Reformasi and perpetuate impunity for past crimes.

According to Ismail, a clear polarization has emerged: while online media generally focuses on procedural and historical aspects of the proposal, social media serves as the main platform of resistance for activists.

“The struggle between memories of development progress and the dark history of the New Order is very apparent,” he said.

Platform Sentiment Breakdown

Drone Emprit’s data showed that sentiment varies across platforms:

• X (formerly Twitter) recorded 63 percent negative sentiment, driven by vocal activists discussing corruption and human rights issues.

• Facebook displayed 80 percent positive sentiment, with many users portraying Soeharto as a strong and central figure.

• Instagram was 56 percent positive, though users included moral reflections and mixed reactions.

• YouTube was 62 percent positive, and TikTok the most favorable at 77 percent, where nostalgic content about economic stability and strong leadership predominated.

Extensive Online Attention

From October 20 to November 7, Drone Emprit recorded 2,333 news articles, 7,230 mentions, and 19,092 social media conversation samples about the proposal.

In total, the issue generated 27,910 mentions and over 26 million interactions across all platforms.

“These figures show the high level of public attention and emotional involvement surrounding this issue,” Ismail concluded.

Editor’s Choice: Soeharto National Hero Proposal Sparks Intense Debate Over Human Rights and Corruption Record

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