Prabowo Honors Suharto as National Hero, Stirring Old Wounds
A poster reading "Not My Hero" during a rally opposing the Indonesian government's plan to grant former president Suharto a "National Hero" title in Jakarta on Nov. 6.
Photographer: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has named former authoritarian ruler Suharto a national hero, a symbolic move that’s reignited a long-running debate in the world’s third-largest democracy over its dark past and human-rights record.
The honor, announced Monday at the State Palace to coincide with Indonesia’s National Heroes Day on Nov. 10, is awarded annually to citizens deemed to have made significant contributions to the nation. Suharto’s name had been proposed several times under previous presidents Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Joko Widodo but was never approved.