Indonesia names late dictator Suharto a national hero

JAKARTA,

Indonesia has officially added former president Suharto to its list of national heroes, a decision made during a ceremony on Monday despite objections from activists and academics over his human rights record.

In a decree read by the presidential military secretary, Suharto was named among 10 newly honoured figures, joining a roster of over 200 national heroes that includes Indonesia’s first democratically elected president, prominent women’s rights advocates, Islamic scholars, and independence activists.

President Prabowo Subianto, Suharto’s former son-in-law, presided over the National Hero Day ceremony. Prabowo’s office defended the move, insisting that the president has the discretion to confer the title.

Suharto, who died in 2008 at age 86, ruled Indonesia with an iron grip for more than three decades after seizing power in 1967 following a failed military coup. His tenure was marked by widespread allegations of corruption and human rights abuses, including violent crackdowns on political dissent.

Last week, about 500 civil society members, activists, and academics sent a letter to Prabowo urging him not to award Suharto the title, arguing that it dishonoured victims, undermined democratic values, and distorted history.

The local rights group, Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Kontras), called the decision immoral and warned it could normalise impunity. “Suharto, as someone suspected of being involved in human rights violations, state violence and various offences related to human rights abuses, does not deserve to be awarded the title of national hero,” said Kontras coordinator Dimas Bagus Arya.

State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi defended the decision, stating, “It is part of how we honour our predecessors, especially our leaders, who undoubtedly have made extraordinary contributions to the nation and the country.”

Suharto’s daughter, Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, and son, Bambang Trihatmodjo, attended the ceremony. Siti told reporters: “Please remember what my father had done, from when he was young, until he was old, all his fights for this country and the Indonesian people.”

Among the other nine newly named heroes were slain labour activist Marsinah and former president Abdurrahman Wahid, who passed away in 2009.