"To some Indonesians he is the antithesis of a hero a former dictator accused of human rights abuses who once held the disreputable title of one of the world's most corrupt leaders. So when the world's third-largest democracy announced this month that its late strongman leader Suharto would be named a national hero, activists and survivors were outraged. But on the streets the decision was also notable for the outrage that wasn't."
"The award was bestowed on Suharto by Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto, Suharto's ex-son-law and a controversial military general who was inaugurated last October after a commanding win supported by Gen Z backing. Suharto was a top military leader during the 1965-6 communist purge' when an estimated half a million suspected communists were massacred, and his regime was accused of subsequent human rights abuses and disappearances. He ruled Indonesia for 32 years before being forced from power in 1998. He died in 2008, aged 86."
Suharto was posthumously named a national hero by President Prabowo Subianto, provoking outrage among activists and survivors while street protests remained small and muted. Many young Indonesians born after Suharto's rule reacted with indifference or nostalgia as allegations of human rights abuses receded and perceptions of his era's economic growth improved. Suharto served as a top military leader during the 1965-66 communist purge when an estimated half a million suspected communists were massacred; his regime faced accusations of disappearances and other abuses. He ruled for 32 years, was forced from power in 1998, and died in 2008 at age 86.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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