Suharto

Suharto was born in Kemusuk, a village near Yogyakarta, to a peasant family. He received limited formal education, attending a local school and later a military training course. During the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, he joined the Japanese-sponsored army (PETA), where he rose to the rank of company commander. After Indonesia's independence in 1945, he joined the fledgling Indonesian army and fought in the war against Dutch attempts to re-colonize the country. His military career advanced steadily through the 1950s, including service in the campaign to suppress regional rebellions in Sumatra and Sulawesi. By 1965, he held the position of commander of the Army Strategic Reserve (Kostrad), a key post that positioned him for the events that would bring him to power.

On 30 September 1965, a group of leftist officers kidnapped and killed six senior army generals, an event known as the 30 September Movement. Suharto, as the senior surviving general, took control of the army and blamed the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) for the coup attempt. He then led a violent anti-communist purge that resulted in the deaths of an estimated 500,000 to 1.5 million people, many of them ethnic Chinese and alleged communists. In 1966, he forced President Sukarno to sign the Supersemar letter, which gave him broad powers to restore order. He formally became acting president in 1967 and was appointed president the following year. His regime, called the New Order, was characterized by a strong military presence in politics, a centralized government, and a focus on economic development, which brought significant foreign investment and growth but also entrenched cronyism and state violence.

Under Suharto, Indonesia achieved remarkable economic growth, with GDP expanding at an average of over 6% per year from the 1970s to the 1990s. The government implemented policies that reduced poverty from 60% in 1970 to about 11% by 1996, and achieved self-sufficiency in rice production in the mid-1980s. However, this development was accompanied by a highly centralized and repressive political system. Suharto controlled the media, banned opposition parties, and used the military to suppress dissent. He also built a vast network of patronage, distributing business concessions to his family and cronies, leading to endemic corruption. The 1997 Asian financial crisis exposed the fragility of his economic model, triggering massive protests and calls for reform.

In May 1998, after months of student protests and economic turmoil, Suharto resigned from the presidency, handing power to his vice president, B. J. Habibie. His resignation marked the end of the New Order and the beginning of the Reformasi era. After stepping down, Suharto faced legal challenges, but he was never tried for corruption or human rights abuses, largely due to poor health and political protection. He died in 2008 at the age of 86. His legacy remains deeply contested: some Indonesians remember him as the 'Father of Development' who brought stability and growth, while others condemn his authoritarianism and the violence that marked his rise and rule. His family's business empire, estimated to be worth billions of dollars, continues to influence Indonesian politics and economics.

Suharto's early life included a brief stint as a clerk in a village bank and a period of unemployment before joining the Dutch colonial army in 1940. He was also a devout Muslim who made the hajj pilgrimage in 1991, but his regime was often accused of being tolerant of Islamic extremism for political reasons. He had a passion for traditional Javanese mysticism and consulted spiritual advisers throughout his life. His wife, Siti Hartinah, known as Ibu Tien, was a powerful figure in her own right, nicknamed 'Madame Ten Percent' for her alleged share of business deals. Suharto's regime also implemented the controversial 'transmigration' program, which relocated millions of people from densely populated Java to outer islands, often at the expense of indigenous communities. The 1965 purge remains a taboo subject in Indonesia, with many details still unacknowledged by the state.

New Order

The authoritarian political regime led by Suharto from 1966 to 1998, characterized by military dominance and economic development.

Supersemar

The letter of 11 March 1966 by which President Sukarno transferred executive power to Suharto, named after the acronym for 'Surat Perintah Sebelas Maret'.

Kostrad

The Indonesian Army Strategic Reserve Command, which Suharto commanded before his rise to power.

Reformasi

The post-1998 reform movement in Indonesia that sought to democratize the political system and address corruption.