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Indonesia on Monday declared former dictator Suharto a national hero, sparking outrage among rights groups who said the move was an effort to erase decades of human rights abuses and corruption during his 32 years in power.
Suharto was an ally of the US during the Cold War who presided over an authoritarian regime for decades, during which more than one million political opponents were murdered, until he was overthrown in 1998 amid protests.
He was one of 10 people identified chairman prabowo subianto In a televised ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan jakarta To mark National Heroes Day.
Culture Minister Fadli Jon said Suharto played an important role during the independence struggle against dutch colonial rulers, and later served as commander of a military expedition that helped take control of what is now west papua From Dutch.
Zon also credited the former dictator with reducing poverty and curbing inflation, as well as defeating a communist insurgency. He dismissed the allegations of corruption and serious human rights abuses as unproven.
Current President Prabowo had close ties to Suharto, under whom he joined the ranks of an Indonesian special forces unit accused of widespread human rights abuses. He and other members of the unit were banned from traveling to the US until 2020, which was effectively lifted when he served as Indonesia’s defense minister.
He was married to Suharto’s daughter Siti Hediyati Hariyadi from 1983 to 1998. Prabowo did not make any statement after the ceremony.
Former President Abdurrahman Wahid, who repealed many of Suharto’s repressive laws, and Marsinah, a prominent labor activist killed during the dictatorship, were also among 10 people recognized as heroes on Monday.
Marcinah was murdered in 1993 at the age of 24 after disappearing following a clash with military personnel.
Suharto ruled Indonesia harshly
Suharto took power with an authoritarian approach, with soldiers stationed in every village until his removal from office due to widespread unrest at the height of the Asian financial crisis of 1997–1998.
He was accused of responsibility for the killings of hundreds of thousands of political opponents during his tenure, but poor health – and, critics allege, continuing corruption – prevented him from facing trial until his death in 2008.
The greatest number of killings occurred in 1965–1966 when 300,000 to 800,000 alleged communists were captured and executed during his rise to power. Over the next three decades, another 300,000 people were killed, disappeared or starved to death in the independence-minded regions of East Timor, Aceh and Papua, according to human rights groups and the United Nations.
Suharto’s hero status sparks national debate
Survivors of state violence under Suharto expressed outrage about the honour.
“I was shocked, disappointed and angry at this government’s absurd decision,” said Bedjo Untung, who was jailed without trial after being accused of links to the Indonesian Communist Party and is now president of the 1965 Murder Victim Research Foundation.
Untung, who suffered torture during his 1970–79 imprisonment, said his family faced years of discrimination and hardship because of their alleged ties to communism.
“It seems extremely unfair, we live with the pain to this day,” Untung said.
Suharto has been nominated for the title of national hero several times since 2010, but previous Indonesian leaders rejected the idea due to debate and national outrage.
State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi said the candidates for this year’s honor were recommended by Parliament after in-depth discussions with the National Appraisal Committee for National Heroes and society groups.
“This is part of our respect for our predecessors, especially our leaders, who have undoubtedly provided extraordinary service to the nation,” Hadi told reporters before the announcement.
Jaleshwari Pramodwardani, a senior policy analyst at Laboratorium Indonesia 2045, said the title of national hero to Suharto challenges not only the country’s collective memory, but also its unwavering commitment to transitional justice and the mandate of the 1998 reform movement.
To bestow the title of hero on the perpetrators of gross human rights abuses is “in effect condoning state violence, permanently stunting the pursuit of justice for countless victims,” Pramodawardini wrote.