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Kalibata Heroes' Cemetery

The National Main Heroes' Cemetery in Kalibata (), colloquially known as Kalibata Heroes' Cemetery ( or TMP Kalibata), is a military cemetery in Kalibata, South Jakarta, Indonesia. It was built in 1953 and opened on 10 November 1954. Former Indonesian foreign minister Agus Salim, who died six days before the cemetery was opened, was the first senior politician buried in the cemetery. There were also 121 bodies moved from Heroes' Cemetery in Ancol. B. J. Habibie was the first and as of 2025 only Indonesian president to be buried in the cemetery following his death on 11 September 2019. At the other hand, five vice presidents—all of whom served under President Suharto, including Habibie—were buried there; Adam Malik was the first in 1984 and Try Sutrisno was the most recent in 2026.

The site was established as Heroes' Cemetery in Kalibata (Taman Makam Pahlawan Kalibata) before Suharto renamed it in his 1976 decree to National Heroes' Cemetery in Kalibata (Taman Makam Pahlawan Nasional Kalibata). The graveyard was then renamed to its current form in 2009, following the passage of Law 20/2009.

More than 7,000 military casualties and veterans from the Indonesian War of Independence are buried there. This includes many veterans of the Imperial Japanese Army who stayed in the Dutch colony after World War II of their own free will and fought for Indonesian independence.

Burial criteria

Act No. 20 of 2009, which regulates the orders, decorations, and medals of Indonesia, also regulates the eligibility for burial in the cemetery. Before the promulgation of the Act, anyone with the consent of the Ministry of Social Affairs could be buried in the cemetery; after its promulgation, only the following people may be buried there:

Japanese

Up to 3,000 Japanese volunteers fought against the Dutch. Of these approximately 1,000 died, 1,000 returned to Japan after Indonesia's independence, and 1,000 remained and were naturalized in Indonesia. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited on 13 January 2002, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited on 21 August 2007, and Prince Akishino and Princess Akishino visited on 19 January 2008.

Since the late 20th century, every Japanese leader or ambassador who visited Jakarta would visit the cemetery. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited the Cemetery on 20 June 2023.

Notable people buried in the cemetery

Indonesians

Japanese

See also

References

  • Kiyoyuki Hatakeyama, Masayasu Hosaka (2004), Rikugun Nakano Gakko Shusen Hishi, Shinchosha