Former Indonesian Dictator, U.S. Ally & Mass Murderer, Suharto, 86, Dies

Human Rights Watch said Suharto had “gotten away with murder–another dictator who’s lived out his life in luxury and escaped justice.”

In addition to the million Indonesians killed during Suharto’s rise to power, hundreds of thousands of more people died during Indonesia’s 1975 invasion and ensuing occupation of East Timor. Tens of thousands also died in the separatist regions of West Papua and Aceh.

Suharto was finally swept from power in a 1998 pro-democracy uprising. In addition to rampant human rights abuses, Suharto’s regime was also characterized by rampant corruption and nepotism. Indonesia was regularly ranked as one of the world’s most corrupt countries as Suharto’s family and inner circle amassed enormous wealth. Transparency International, the anti-corruption group, has estimated Suharto amassed a personal fortune of between $15 billion and $35 billion dollars.

Following his death on Sunday, the US Ambassador to Indonesia, Cameron Hume hailed Suharto in a statement. He said “President Suharto led Indonesia for over 30 years, a period during which Indonesia achieved remarkable economic and social development… Though there may be some controversy over his legacy, President Suharto was a historic figure who left a lasting imprint on Indonesia and the region of Southeast Asia,” he said.

Galuh Wandita, long-time human rights activist in Indonesia and East Timor. She is the Jakarta director of the International center for Transitional Justice and was the deputy director of the East Timor Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Allan Nairn, award-winning investigative journalist who has reported from Indonesia for years. He runs the web-blog “News and Comment.”

Brad Simpson, Director of the Indonesia and East Timor Documentation Project at the National Security Archive in George Washington University. He is also Assistant Professor of US History and Foreign Relations at the University of Maryland in Baltimore County. His forthcoming book is called “Economists with Guns: Authoritarian Development and U.S. – Indonesian Relations, 1960-1968.”

Related Links

• Allan Nairn's Blog News and Comment
• National Security Archives: The Indonesia/East Timor Documentation Project