JAKARTA: Indonesia has declared the late President Suharto a national hero which activists say is an attempt at whitewashing a long history of human rights abuses and corruption that took place during his three-decade military rule.
Suharto was forced out of office in 1998 by violent protests that took place amid an economic crisis.
His departure marked the end of the New Order regime, which was characterized by rapid economic growth, kleptocracy and rights violations, including the anti-communist purges in the 1960s, which claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
Subianto was one of 10 people awarded the national hero title by President Prabowo Subianto on Monday, in the annual observance of National Heroes’ Day, to honor those who have made significant contributions to the country.
“Indonesia’s second president is known as the Father of Development because of his Repelita (Five-Year Development Plan) program that helped Indonesia to achieve significant development,” the Cabinet Secretariat said in a statement.
