On the 10th, the Indonesian government awarded the title of National Hero to the late former President Suharto.
Suharto, who ruled Indonesia for 30 years, was forced to step down in 1998 amid violent protests. During his rule, Indonesia was rife with large-scale human rights violations, corruption, and accusations of nepotism. Suharto passed away in 2008 at the age of 86.
At a National Heroes Day commemoration ceremony presided over by President Prabowo, Suharto was awarded the title of National Hero. One of Suharto's daughters and sons attended the ceremony. Prabowo was once Suharto's son-in-law.
According to a decree read by Prabowo's military secretary, Suharto is included among ten newly named National Heroes of Indonesia.
Each year, Indonesia bestows the National Hero title on Indonesians who have made significant contributions to national development. The list of nominees submitted this time to Prabowo by the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Culture included a total of 48 people.
Earlier, around 500 members of Indonesian civil society organizations, activists, and academics had publicly sent a letter to Prabowo, asking him not to grant Suharto the National Hero honor. Opponents consider this a betrayal to all victims of Suharto's rule and democratic values, as well as a serious distortion of history.