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6h ago

Indonesia Names Suharto a National Hero Despite Protests

Rights groups say the honor whitewashes mass abuses under his rule.

Former Indonesian President Suharto waves to the media in Jakarta March 8,1996. REUTERS/Enny Nuraheni
Image
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, right, hands a national hero certificate to Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, second left, daughter of the late President Suharto and son Bambang Trihatmojo, left, during a ceremony awarding national hero title to ten figures including the former strongman, at the State Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

Overview

  • President Prabowo Subianto presided over a National Heroes Day ceremony that added Suharto to a slate of 10 honorees by presidential decree.
  • Activists, victims’ families and civil society organizations condemned the move as a distortion of history and a setback for accountability.
  • Officials said all nominees met legal criteria, with Culture Minister Fadli Zon citing Suharto’s independence-era service and economic record.
  • Suharto’s daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana and son Bambang Trihatmodjo attended, while other honorees included labor activist Marsinah and former president Abdurrahman Wahid.
  • Critics highlighted mass killings in 1965–66 and violence in East Timor, Aceh and Papua, noting earlier administrations rejected similar nominations.