Dewi Sukarno, 85, the third wife of Indonesian resistance fighter and president Sukarno, announced last week that she is planning to launch a political party focused on animal welfare. While the idea of a singular cause for a political party may be admirable, the contradictory views of its founder have raised some eyebrows.
Dewi on the campaign trail in 2024
12 Peace Party
Speaking at a press conference last week, Dewi said her political party — which she plans to call the “12 (Wan-Nyan) Peace Party,” a play on the number 12 mimicking the Japanese sounds for a bow-wow and meow — will attempt to realize a “humane world in which people co-exist with dogs and cats,” with the first priority being to outlaw eating their meat.
People online have pointed out that even though this cause seems noble, it completely ignores the suffering of animals in general. It has also been suggested that this practice — believed to be more common in China and South Korea — is not widespread in Japan. In fact, Nikken Geidai noted that the last known dog meat imported to Japan was in 2017, and it hasn’t been imported since.
In addition, the party will only be considered for election if Indonesian citizen Dewi becomes naturalized in time for the summer election, leading some to speculate that this announcement is nothing more than a publicity stunt.
Dewi’s Expensive Taste in Fur Coats
This pivot towards animal rights appears insincere considering Dewi’s expensive taste in fur coats. The socialite drew headlines in 2019 when she sued a hotel for damaging the sleeve of her ¥40 million sable coat, claiming that it contained the fur of 60 to 70 Russian golden sables.
She’s since been pictured wearing what appear to be animals of varying varieties and carrying a crocodile handbag.
About Dewi Sukarno
Born Naoko Nemoto, she rose to prominence as the first lady of Indonesia. She changed her name and took up Indonesian citizenship in 1962. When her husband died eight years later, she lived in Europe and the US before returning to Indonesia. She has lived in Japan permanently since 2008.
Known predominantly as an outspoken right-wing personality, she has raised money for several charitable causes in the past, such as refugee rights. However, she has also drawn criticism for her controversial, often offensive views and actions.
This includes strongly defending Johnny Kitagawa, the late music mogul who was accused of sexually assaulting several former members of his organization, and voicing her support for Diet member Mio Sugita when she claimed that LGBTQ+ people were unproductive members of society for not having children.
Her aspirations toward the political sphere seem somewhat ironic, considering her past conduct. In 1992, Dewi infamously spent 36 days in prison for assaulting fellow socialite, Minnie Osmena, in a spat that supposedly stemmed from Dewi’s mockery of Osmena’s political ambitions.
