Suharto
On the 8th of June 1921, a boy named Suharto was born inside a house with walls made of plaited bamboo in the hamlet of Kemusuk. This small village sat west of Yogyakarta within the Dutch East Indies. His father Kertosudiro worked as a village irrigation official while his mother Sukirah came from a local family. Five weeks after his birth, his mother suffered a nervous breakdown and he went to live with his paternal great-aunt Kromodirjo. He moved between his parents and stepfather until age three when he returned to his mother who had remarried a farmer. At age six he lived with his sister Prawirowihardjo in Wuryantoro where he learned farming skills alongside rice paddies. Later he attended primary school in Wonogiri under Hardjowijono and met Darjatmo a shaman who practiced Javanese mystical arts. These early years shaped a quiet childhood far removed from political activism or anti-colonial sentiment. Unlike other nationalists he spoke no European languages before joining the military in 1940.
Before dawn on the 1st of October 1965 six army generals were kidnapped and executed by soldiers from the Presidential Guard. The movement known as the 30th of September Movement claimed they acted against CIA-backed power-mad generals but never targeted Suharto himself. That evening Suharto stayed at Jakarta army hospital with his three-year-old son Tommy who had suffered a scalding injury. Colonel Abdul Latief visited him and explained the plan to save Sukarno from treacherous generals. Upon hearing of the killings Suharto went to Kostrad headquarters just before dawn. He mobilized special forces to seize control of Merdeka Square and captured key sites including the radio station without resistance. By the 2nd of October Suhartoist soldiers occupied the airbase after short fighting. The army led a nationwide violent purge that killed between 500,000 and over 1 million people while imprisoning up to 1.5 million others. This campaign eliminated the Communist Party of Indonesia and established the foundation for decades of authoritarian rule under Suharto's command.
Suharto promoted his New Order regime based on Pancasila ideology which became mandatory training for all Indonesians from primary school students to office workers. In 1983 he secured a parliamentary resolution obliging all organizations to adhere to Pancasila as a fundamental principle. The government implemented Dwifungsi or Dual Function policy enabling the military to hold active roles in every level of government economy and society. By 1969 seventy percent of provincial governors and more than half of district chiefs were active military officers. Elections held on the 3rd of July 1971 saw Golkar secure 62.8% of the popular vote through subtle intimidation tactics and official support. Suharto was re-elected unopposed by the MPR in 1978 1983 1988 1993 and 1998 with no substantive opposition allowed. He ruled effectively by decree using rubber stamp legislatures to pass laws without meaningful debate. Social engineering projects transformed Indonesian society into a depoliticized floating mass supportive only of national development missions. Civil servants joined KORPRI unions while laborers belonged to FBSI and Islamic clerics came under MUI control.
When Suharto took power inflation reached 650% per year making Indonesia one of Asia's poorest countries. He appointed an economic advisory group known as the Berkeley Mafia consisting mostly of US-educated intellectuals from the University of Indonesia. Widjojo Nitisastro Ali Wardhana and Emil Salim implemented free market policies reversing Sukarno's tightly regulated trade system. Inflation dropped from 660% in 1966 to 19% in 1969 after cutting subsidies and reforming exchange rates. Foreign investment entered through the 1967 Foreign Investment Law with companies like Freeport Sulphur Company joining domestic entrepreneurs such as Astra Group and Salim Group. From 1967 to 1997 real GDP grew at 5.03% annually pushing per capita income from $806 to $4,114. Manufacturing rose from less than 10% of GDP in 1966 to 25% by 1997 while exports shifted toward manufactured goods. The government launched REPELITA five-year plans investing heavily in infrastructure including Palapa telecommunication satellites. By 1984 Indonesia achieved rice self-sufficiency earning Suharto a gold medal from the Food and Agriculture Organization in November 1985.
Suharto authorized an invasion of East Timor on the 7th of December 1975 followed by annexation as Indonesia's twenty-seventh province in July 1976. An estimated minimum of 90,800 and maximum of 213,600 conflict-related deaths occurred during Indonesian rule between 1974 and 1999. Seventy percent of violent deaths were directly caused by Indonesian forces responsible for killings excess hunger and illness deaths totaling over 100,000 lives lost. In March 1981 special forces ended hijacking of a Garuda Indonesia flight at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok. The government passed laws requiring Chinese Indonesians to take Indonesian names and seized all Chinese schools turning them into public institutions. Only one Chinese-language publication controlled by the Army remained legal while cultural expressions disappeared from public spaces. A Letter of Proof of Citizenship called SBKRI became mandatory for ethnic-Chinese citizens creating barriers to university enrollment civil service jobs or military/police careers. Between 1983 and 1985 army squads killed up to 10,000 suspected criminals in response to rising crime rates known as Petrus killings. The Tanjung Priok massacre saw soldiers kill up to 100 conservative Muslim protesters in September 1984.
In early 1980s Suharto's children Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana Hutomo Mandala Putra and Bambang Trihatmodjo grew into greedy adults controlling lucrative contracts through monopolies. Tutut monopolized toll-expressway markets while Tommy and Bambang controlled national car projects and cinema markets via 21 Cineplex owned by cousin Sudwikatmono. The family controlled about 36,000 square kilometers of real estate including 100,000 square meters of prime office space in Jakarta and nearly 40% of land in East Timor. They received free shares in 1,251 of Indonesia's most lucrative domestic companies mostly run by ethnic-Chinese cronies. Foreign-owned companies were encouraged to establish strategic partnerships with Suharto family firms. In 1997 Forbes listed Suharto as the fourth richest person globally with an individual net worth of $16 billion despite drawing only $21,000 annually. Estimates suggest total wealth amassed over three decades reached $73.24 billion derived primarily from grabbing oil gas mining resources or state corporations. Transparency International later alleged embezzlement between $15 billion and $35 billion making him the highest-ranking corrupt leader in two decades.
From mid-1997 large capital outflows caused the Indonesian rupiah to drop from Rp. 2,600 to around Rp. 17,000 by early 1998. Companies bankrupted due to poor bank lending practices led to a 13.7% economic shrinkage and sharp increases in unemployment and poverty. Suharto signed letters of intent with the IMF for US$43 billion liquidity aid but raised interest rates up to 70% per annum worsening contraction further. On the 12th of May 1998 security forces killed four demonstrators from Jakarta's Trisakti University during riots that destroyed thousands of buildings and killed over 1,000 people. Ethnic Chinese businesses became particular targets while theories suggested deliberate provocation by Suharto to divert blame. Tens of thousands of university students demanded his resignation on the 16th of May occupying parliament grounds and roofs. Political allies deserted him refusing to join proposed new cabinets when he offered reshuffling plans. On the 21st of May 1998 Suharto announced his resignation allowing vice-president Habibie to assume presidency according to constitutional procedures. Documents indicate the Clinton Administration sought to maintain close ties with the Indonesian military after his fall from power.
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Common questions
When was Suharto born and where did he grow up?
Suharto was born on the 8th of June 1921 in the hamlet of Kemusuk west of Yogyakarta within the Dutch East Indies. He lived with his parents until age three before moving between relatives and eventually returning to his mother who had remarried a farmer.
How did Suharto take power during the events of October 1965?
Suharto mobilized special forces to seize control of Merdeka Square and captured key sites including the radio station without resistance after hearing about the killings of six army generals. By the 2nd of October 1965 soldiers occupied the airbase following short fighting which established the foundation for decades of authoritarian rule under his command.
What economic policies did Suharto implement to reduce inflation?
Suharto appointed an economic advisory group known as the Berkeley Mafia consisting mostly of US-educated intellectuals from the University of Indonesia to implement free market policies. Inflation dropped from 660% in 1966 to 19% in 1969 after cutting subsidies and reforming exchange rates while foreign investment entered through the 1967 Foreign Investment Law.
Why did Suharto authorize the invasion of East Timor on December 7th 1975?
Suharto authorized an invasion of East Timor on the 7th of December 1975 followed by annexation as Indonesia's twenty-seventh province in July 1976. An estimated minimum of 90,800 and maximum of 213,600 conflict-related deaths occurred during Indonesian rule between 1974 and 1999 with seventy percent of violent deaths directly caused by Indonesian forces.
How much wealth did Suharto accumulate before his resignation in May 1998?
In 1997 Forbes listed Suharto as the fourth richest person globally with an individual net worth of $16 billion despite drawing only $21,000 annually. Estimates suggest total wealth amassed over three decades reached $73.24 billion derived primarily from grabbing oil gas mining resources or state corporations.
When did Suharto resign and what events led to his departure from power?
On the 21st of May 1998 Suharto announced his resignation allowing vice-president Habibie to assume presidency according to constitutional procedures after security forces killed four demonstrators from Jakarta's Trisakti University on the 12th of May 1998. Tens of thousands of university students demanded his resignation on the 16th of May occupying parliament grounds and roofs while political allies deserted him refusing to join proposed new cabinets.