Indonesia makes former president Soeharto posthumous national hero

Activists condemn grant by ex-son-in-law President Subianto, branding it betrayal of Soeharto’s victims and democracy.

Indonesia has named erstwhile president Soeharto a nationalist hero, contempt accusations of quality rights abuses carried retired by his regime.

Soeharto was named among 10 honorees fixed the rubric of nationalist leader connected Monday. The award, decided by President Prabowo Subianto, Soeharto’s erstwhile son-in-law, has stirred disapproval among activists and academics who mention the deceased subject leader’s grounds of wide quality rights violations, corruption and nepotism during his three-decade rule.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupts, sends volcanic ash 10km high
• list 2 of 3Video: Search for bodies called disconnected aft Indonesia schoolhouse collapse
• list 3 of 3Indonesia ends hunt for victims of schoolhouse illness with astatine slightest 61 dead

The grant astatine the National Hero Day ceremonial means that Soeharto shares the honour with a database of much than 200 people, including Sukarno, person of Indonesia’s independency question and the country’s archetypal democratically elected president.

“A salient fig from Central Java province, a leader of the conflict for independence, General Soeharto stood retired since the independency era,” said the statesmanlike subject secretary, arsenic Prabowo handed the grant to Soeharto’s daughter, Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, and son, Bambang Trihatmodjo.

Every year, the rubric of nationalist leader is awarded to Indonesians who person contributed importantly to the Southeast Asian archipelago’s development.

Soeharto, who died successful 2008 aged 86, ruled Indonesia with an robust fist for much than 3 decades aft seizing power from Sukarno successful 1967 pursuing a failed subject coup.

Indonesia gained independency successful 1945 from the then-colonial powers, the Netherlands and Japan.

A ample representation of the precocious President Soeharto hangs connected the partition of the State Palace during a ceremonial awarding nationalist leader rubric to 10 figures, including the erstwhile strongman, successful Jakarta, Indonesia, November 10, 2025 (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

The erstwhile worker utilized the subject to predominate civilian affairs and crush dissent. He was besides accused of immense corruption and nepotism, benefitting his household and cronies.

He steered Indonesia done a agelong play of accelerated economical maturation and stability, lone to spot overmuch of his enactment unravel arsenic the state was plunged into chaos during the 1997-1998 Asian fiscal crisis.

No charges were ever proven against Soeharto, who escaped going connected proceedings owed to his failing health.

Betrayal

Last week, astir 500 civilian nine members, activists and academics published a missive sent to Prabowo, requesting helium not proceed with the leader designation.

The missive called the grant a betrayal of Soeharto’s victims and of antiauthoritarian values, and said it constituted a unsafe distortion of history.

The determination is besides viewed arsenic a reddish emblem regarding the existent regime, which activists accidental is composed of radical favoured by Soeharto.

Prabowo, who was a peculiar forces commandant nether Soeharto and was joined to the erstwhile president’s daughter, has rebuffed accusations of quality rights violations successful East Timor.

He has besides faced a bid of convulsive protests since sweeping to electoral victory past year, chiefly prompted by discontent implicit economical inequality and lavish perks for lawmakers.

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has been accused of maltreatment and precocious faced protests [File: EPA]

The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), a section rights group, said designating Soeharto a nationalist leader was immoral and helped to normalise impunity.

“Soeharto, arsenic idiosyncratic suspected of being progressive successful quality rights violations, authorities unit and assorted offences related to quality rights abuses, does not merit to beryllium awarded the rubric of nationalist hero,” KontraS coordinator Dimas Bagus Arya told the AFP quality agency.

State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi defended the government’s decision.

“It is portion of however we honour our predecessors, particularly our leaders, who undoubtedly person made bonzer contributions to the federation and the country,” helium told reporters.

The different 9 caller heroes see slain labour activistic Marsinah and erstwhile President Abdurrahman Wahid, who died successful 2009.