Suharto gets honored as national hero despite controversy in Indonesia
The national hero award, given annually to individuals deemed to have made significant contributions to the nation, included Suharto among ten new recipients this year. The ceremony, presided over by current President Prabowo Subianto—Suharto’s former son-in-law—took place at the state palace in Jakarta, with Suharto’s children present to receive the honor.
In the award ceremony livestream, a voiceover praised Suharto for rising to prominence during Indonesia’s independence struggle, highlighting his role in disarming Japanese forces during the 1945 battle in Yogyakarta.
The decision has sparked widespread opposition. Last week, roughly 100 protesters gathered in Jakarta, and an online petition opposing Suharto’s recognition has gathered nearly 16,000 signatures. Additional demonstrations are planned, with authorities deploying hundreds of security personnel. Amnesty Indonesia criticized the move as an attempt to "whitewash the sins of Suharto's authoritarian regime" and “distort history.”
Suharto’s rule was marked by the violent seizure of power in 1965, resulting in at least 500,000 deaths of alleged communists. His three decades in office involved torture, disappearances, and widespread repression of civil liberties. The 1975 invasion of East Timor is also remembered as one of the Cold War’s most brutal military campaigns.
Yet, Suharto’s supporters point to the economic and political stability achieved under his leadership. Despite rampant corruption, Indonesia experienced an average annual growth of 7% and a dramatic reduction in inflation, from over 600% in 1966 to around 10%. Suharto earned the nickname "Bapak Pembangunan," or father of development, though he is accused of embezzling billions of dollars. He stepped down in 1998 amid economic crisis, allowing a relatively peaceful transition.
Efforts to recognize Suharto as a national hero have existed for over a decade but were repeatedly stalled due to his controversial record. Prabowo’s election last year has fueled concerns of historical revisionism, as his administration has promoted new history textbooks critics claim downplay New Order-era atrocities.
Prabowo, a former military general, himself faced accusations of human rights abuses, including commanding a unit that abducted and tortured democracy activists in the late 1990s. Among 23 activists targeted, one died, 13 remain missing, and some survived the ordeal.
The conferral of national hero status on Suharto underscores the deep divisions in Indonesia over how to remember a leader whose rule combined development achievements with severe human rights violations.
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