reader Posted October 20 Posted October 20 From The Nation At the election in February, Prabowo Subianto, 73, presented himself as heir to the immensely popular President Joko Widodo, the first Indonesian president to emerge from outside the political and military elite. Subianto, who was then defence minister, vowed to continue the modernization agenda that has brought rapid growth and vaulted Indonesia into the ranks of middle-income countries. In a speech last month, Subianto, who’s also the chair of the Gerindra Party, reminded party members to always remain loyal to the nation, not to him. He also vowed his unwavering commitment to defend the people, even at the cost of his life. “Once you smell I’m on the wrong path, please leave me,” Subianto said, “My life, my oath … I want to die for the truth, I want to die defending my people, I want to die defending the poor, I want to die defending the honour of the Indonesian nation. I have no doubt.” But Subianto will enter office with unresolved questions about the costs of rapid growth for the environment and traditional communities, as well as his links to torture, disappearances and other human rights abuses in the final years of the brutal Suharto dictatorship, which he served as a lieutenant general. Other than promising continuity, Subianto has laid out few concrete plans, leaving observers uncertain about what his election will mean for the country’s economy and its still-maturing democracy. A former rival of Widodo who lost two presidential races to him, Subianto embraced the popular leader to run as his heir, even choosing Widodo’s son as his running mate, a decision that ran up against constitutional age limits and has activists worried about an emerging political dynasty in the 25-year-old democracy. But for now, he appears to enjoy widespread support. He secured a majority in the election on Feb. 14, winning 59%, or more than 96 million votes in a three-way race, more than enough for victory without a runoff. Subianto was born in 1951 to one of Indonesia’s most powerful families, the third of four children. His father, Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, was an influential politician, and a minister under Presidents Sukarno and Suharto. Subianto’s father first worked for Sukarno, the leader of Indonesia’s quest for independence from the Dutch, as well as the first president. But Djojohadikusumo later turned against the leader and was forced into exile. Subianto spent most of his childhood overseas and speaks French, German, English and Dutch. The family returned to Indonesia after General Suharto came to power in 1967 following a failed left-wing coup. Suharto dealt brutally with dissenters and was accused of stealing billions of dollars of state funds for himself, his family and close associates. Suharto dismissed the allegations even after leaving office in 1998. Subianto enrolled in Indonesia’s Military Academy in 1970, graduating in 1974 and serving in the military for nearly three decades. In 1976, Subianto joined the Indonesian National Army Special Force, called Kopassus, and was commander of a group that operated in what is now East Timor. Human rights groups have claimed that Subianto was involved in a series of human rights violations in East Timor in the 1980s and 1990s when Indonesia occupied the now-independent nation. Subianto has denied those allegations. Subianto and other members of Kopassus were banned from travelling to the U.S. over the alleged human rights abuses they committed against the people of East Timor. The ban remained in place until 2020, when it was effectively lifted, enabling him to visit the US as Indonesia’s defence minister. continues with photo https://www.nationthailand.com/news/asean/40042508 Quote
