Indonesia is Mourning for Soeharto

Soeharto (8 June 1921 - 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian military leader, and the second President of Indonesia, holding the office from 1967 to 1998.

Suharto was born in a small village near Yogyakarta, during the era of Dutch Colonial. His ethnic Javanese peasant parents divorced not long after his birth, and he was passed around several foster parents for much of his childhood. After a brief and an unsuccessful stint as a village bank clerk, Suharto joined the KNIL or Netherlands Army in 1940. During the Japanese Occupation, Suharto served in various Japanese-organised Indonesian security forces. He joined the newly formed Indonesian army during Indonesian Independence struggle where he rose through the ranks to command a garrison against Netherlands at the Republican capital of Yogyakarta. Following Indonesian independence, Suharto rose to the rank of Major General.

An attempted coup on 30 September 1965 was countered by Suharto-led troops. The Suharto-led army blamed the attempt on the PKI or Indonesian Communist Party and led a violent anti-communist purge that killed between 500,000 and one million people. Soeharto wrested power from the weakened incumbent, and founding president, Soekarno, and was inaugurated President in March 1968. Over the three decades of his New Order administration, Suharto constructed a strong militarized centralized government. An ability to maintain control over a sprawling and diverse Indonesia, and an avowedly anti-Communist stance, won him the economic and diplomatic support of the West during the Cold war. For most of his three-decade rule, Indonesia experienced significant economic growth and industrialization. Indonesia under his power has obtained many awards, one of it from FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) because of the swasembada in indonesia (able to fulfill its own rice and export to other countries).

Like many Javanese, Suharto had only one name. In religious contexts, he is sometimes called “Haji” or “el-Haj Mohammed Suharto”, but this Islamic title is not part of his formal name or generally used. The spelling “Suharto” has been official in Indonesia since 1947 but the older spelling Soeharto is still frequently used.

*quoted from wikipedia.com

After 21 days in the hospital and much sufferings, soeharto passed away at 13.10pm on 27 January 2008. The next day he was buried in Astana GiriBangun in Solo where he is laid beside his wife, Ibu Tien Soeharto. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono claimed as 27th January until 3rd February 2008 as mourning day.

Good Bye Soeharto.. Selamat Jalan Pak Harto. Bapak Pembangunan RI.