Displaying items by tag: national hero

A controversial proposal to name former Indonesian president Soeharto a national hero has sparked widespread international condemnation. Over thirty civic groups issued a joint statement warning that such an honour would whitewash Soeharto’s 32-year authoritarian rule, marked by systemic corruption and grave human rights abuses. The groups cited atrocities during the 1965–66 anti-communist purges, in which up to three million were killed, and the 1997–98 disappearances of pro-democracy activists, as well as Soeharto’s alleged embezzlement of $35 billion. They also referenced a 2016 tribunal in The Hague, which concluded that the Indonesian military played a central role in mass killings under his command. The nomination, currently under review, was reportedly put out by Central Java’s governor, who later denied involvement. The civic leaders have urged the government to reject the nomination and instead address unresolved human rights violations and entrenched corruption linked to Soeharto - who is the father-in-law of current president Prabowo Subianto. This is not the first proposal to nominate him as a national hero; similar attempts took place in 2010 and 2015.