Suharto

Suharto , }} (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian military officer and politician, who served as the second and longest serving president of Indonesia.

Suharto was born in Kemusuk, near the city of Yogyakarta, during the Dutch colonial era. He grew up in humble circumstances. His Javanese Muslim parents divorced not long after his birth, and he lived with foster parents for much of his childhood. During the Japanese occupation, Suharto served in the Japanese-organized Indonesian security forces. During Indonesia's independence struggle, he joined the newly formed Indonesian Army and rose to the rank of major general some time after full Indonesian independence was achieved. An attempted coup on 30 September and 1 October 1965 was countered by Suharto-led troops. The army subsequently led a nationwide violent anti-communist purge. In March 1967, the MPRS appointed Suharto as acting President, and he was appointed President the following year. When Suharto came to power, inflation was running at over 650%. He appointed an economic advisory group that implemented free market policies, and by 1969 the country entered a period of price stability. Suharto ordered an invasion of East Timor in 1975, followed by a deadly 23-year occupation of the country and genocide.

Under his "New Order" administration, Suharto constructed a strong, centralised, and military-dominated government. What started as an oligarchic military dictatorship evolved into a personalistic authoritarian regime centred around him. An ability to maintain stability over a sprawling and diverse Indonesia and an avowedly anti-communist stance won him the economic and diplomatic support of the West during the Cold War. For most of his presidency, Indonesia experienced significant industrialisation, economic growth, improved levels of education, and an awakening of domestic entrepreneurship. As a result, in 1982, he was named “Father of Development” by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR). In 1986, Suharto was awarded the Ceres Medal by the United Nations FAO for efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in rice. By the 1990s, the New Order's increasing authoritarianism and alleged widespread corruption were a source of discontent and, following the 1997 Asian financial crisis which led to widespread unrest, he resigned in May 1998. Suharto died in January 2008 and received a state military funeral with full honors. The Indonesian government declared a week of national mourning with many world leaders paying tribute to him.

Suharto's 31-year presidency and legacy are highly divisive, and he remains a controversial figure within the Indonesian general public. He has been praised for making Indonesia into an economic success story, bringing stability to the region particularly during the Cold War period, and led Indonesia when it played a significant role in international affairs. However, others have denounced his authoritarian rule, alleged corruption,}} and extensive human rights violations (such as a violent anti-communist purge prior to his rule and subsequent repression of Chinese culture in Indonesia). Plans to award the status of National Hero to Suharto are being considered by the Indonesian government and have been debated vigorously. Provided by Wikipedia