Indonesia declares former dictator Suharto a national hero, sparking outrage over historical revisionism

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto conferred the title of "National Hero" upon the late former dictator Suharto on Monday, a move that immediately drew widespread condemnation from human rights groups and critics who accuse the government of whitewashing a legacy defined by mass violence and corruption.

The award was presented in a ceremony presided over by President Subianto, who is Suharto's former son-in-law. The decision has deepened fears among activists about attempts to revise the history of Suharto's decades-long, iron-fisted rule in the world's third-largest democracy.

Suharto led a highly centralized, authoritarian regime for more than 30 years until he was forced to step down in 1998 amid widespread economic discontent. Critics and human rights organizations argue that his rule was marked by rampant censorship, corruption, and mass human rights violations, including the alleged slaughter of hundreds of thousands of people and accusations of genocide.

During his tenure, Suharto was known for kleptocratic rule, having allegedly siphoned off billions of dollars from state coffers. Despite the scale of the alleged crimes, Suharto, who died in 2008, never faced criminal prosecution.

The announcement of the "National Hero" status caused uproar among citizens and pro-democracy activists, who view the elevation as a "jaw dropping swerve of revisionist history". Families of those affected by the strongman's rule have protested the decision. The title of "National Hero" is typically reserved for figures who have made extraordinary contributions to the nation, particularly during the struggle for independence. An announcer at the ceremony noted that Suharto, a prominent figure from Central Java province, stood out since the independence era. However, critics maintain that the honor ignores the moral and ethical transgressions that defined his time in power.

The current president, Prabowo Subianto, has faced scrutiny for his close ties to the former dictator. The ceremony on Monday was further complicated by the fact that President Subianto simultaneously bestowed the same honor on two figures who stood in stark opposition to Suharto's regime.

Among those honored alongside Suharto were Abdurrahman Wahid, a longtime Suharto critic who later became Indonesia's first democratically elected president, and Marsinah, a young labor activist who was kidnapped, tortured, and killed during Suharto's rule, becoming a prominent face for human rights. This simultaneous recognition of both the dictator and his victims created what observers described as a "dizzying split screen".