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Questions about Suharto

Short answers, pulled from the story.

How long did Suharto serve as president of Indonesia?

Suharto served as president of Indonesia for 31 years, from 1967 to 1998, making him the longest-serving president in the country's history. He was appointed acting president on the 12th of March 1967 and resigned on the 21st of May 1998.

How did Suharto come to power in Indonesia?

Suharto rose to power following the failed coup of the 30th of September and the 1st of October 1965, in which six army generals were kidnapped and killed in Jakarta. He mobilized military forces to suppress the coup, took control of the army, and over the following eighteen months outmaneuvered President Sukarno through student agitation, parliamentary purges, and military pressure until he was named acting president in March 1967.

How many people were killed in Suharto's anti-communist purge?

The most widely accepted estimates are that at least 500,000 to over 1 million people were killed in the nationwide anti-communist purge that followed the events of October 1965. As many as 1.5 million were imprisoned at one stage or another. The CIA described the purge as one of the worst mass murders of the 20th century.

What was Suharto's net worth and how did he accumulate his wealth?

A Time magazine cover story dated the 24th of May 1999 estimated the total wealth accumulated by the Suharto family over three decades at $73.24 billion, with three-fourths attributed to seizing oil, gas, and mining resources or controlling state corporations. Transparency International ranked Suharto first on its 2004 list of self-enriching leaders, alleging misappropriation of between $15 billion and $35 billion during his 32-year presidency.

What happened in East Timor under Suharto's rule?

Suharto authorized a full-scale invasion of East Timor on the 7th of December 1975 following a civil war in the former Portuguese colony, and East Timor was officially annexed as Indonesia's 27th province in July 1976. Estimated conflict-related deaths during Indonesian rule from 1974 to 1999 range from a minimum of 90,800 to a maximum of 213,600, with Indonesian forces responsible for about 70% of the violent deaths.

Why did Suharto resign and what caused his fall from power?

Suharto resigned on the 21st of May 1998 under the pressure of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, which shrank Indonesia's economy by 13.7% and caused the rupiah to collapse from around 2,600 to roughly 17,000 to the US dollar. The killing of four Trisakti University demonstrators on the 12th of May 1998 triggered mass rioting and looting that killed over 1,000 people; by mid-May, students occupied the parliament building and Suharto's political allies refused to form a new cabinet with him.

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