The Indonesian government has conferred one-time autocratic head Suharto the designation of hero of the nation, through a decision that has provoked claims of historical revisionism in the globe's number three democratic state.
The recognition has heightened fears about endeavors to gloss over Suharto’s rise and decades-long rule, a period defined by pervasive dishonesty, censorship and claims of large-scale rights abuses.
The designation was conferred in a ritual on Monday morning led by President Subianto, Suharto’s one-time relative by marriage, regardless of objections by rights campaigners and the relatives of those harmed by the autocrat's harsh leadership.
“A well-known individual from the province of Central Java, a champion of the fight for freedom, General Suharto stood out since the era of independence,” a presenter said as Subianto presented the award to Suharto’s children.
The nation achieved freedom in 1945 from the colonial authorities Netherlands and Japan.
Suharto, who led the country for more than three decades, was ousted amid mass protests and deadly riots during an economic crisis in 1998. He died in 2006 aged 86.
Subianto, who wed and then separated from Suharto’s daughter Siti Hediati, has in the past publicly lauded his one-time relative, and personally faced backlash for the increasing prominence of the armed forces in public life since he took power last year.
The Indonesian president, a former special forces commander, was dismissed from the military the same year his father-in-law was overthrown, amid allegations he was involved in the abduction of pro-democracy activists. He has consistently refuted wrongdoing in relation to the accusations.
Defending the granting of hero status on Suharto, Indonesia’s culture minister, Fadli Zon, said the former leader was eligible for the award because of the army missions he was involved in, including opposing the Holland in 1949. He denied that he was involved in the killings of at least half a million accused leftists in 1965-66.
But rights defenders have described the raising of Suharto as appalling.
“How could the figure most responsible for one of the worst mass killings in history, when he seized power, be declared a national hero? It’s utterly absurd,” said Hamid of Amnesty's Indonesian office.
“It is a flagrant glossing over of past atrocities. This choice overlooks the desires of the public, including survivors of infringements on rights who persist in calling for justice.”
The administration did not immediately provide a statement to these claims.
Discussions of designating Suharto a hero of the nation has also provoked rallies in Jakarta, where in the past few days activists have assembled near the presidential palace displaying banners saying “End the cover-up of the general of butchery” and “Numerous lives were lost but the country chose to forget”.
