Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto on Monday officially named Soeharto, Indonesia’s longest-serving leader whose 32-year rule was marked by authoritarianism and military dominance, as one of ten new National Heroes during a ceremony at the State Palace in Jakarta.

The announcement, made as part of the country’s Heroes Day commemoration, may reignite long-standing debates over Soeharto’s legacy. While credited with stabilizing Indonesia’s economy and maintaining political order after years of turmoil, his regime was also associated with widespread human rights abuses, corruption, and suppression of dissent.

Soeharto, who ruled from 1967 to 1998, resigned amid nationwide protests and an economic crisis that ended his “New Order” era. His selection as a national hero had been proposed several times before but repeatedly drew opposition from human rights activists and victims’ groups, who argue his inclusion overlooks serious violations committed under his rule.

Prabowo, a former general who once served under Soeharto and was married to his second daughter, Siti Hediati Hariyadi (Titiek Soeharto) in 1983, presided over the ceremony and presented certificates of recognition to the honorees’ families.

Alongside Soeharto, Prabowo also bestowed the National Hero title on former president Abdurrahman Wahid, widely known as Gus Dur, who is remembered as a champion of religious tolerance and pluralism.

The awards were formalized under Presidential Decree No. 116/TK/2025 on the Granting of National Hero Titles. Each recipient’s portrait was displayed at the State Palace as Prabowo handed framed citations to their heirs.

The full list of honorees includes:

1. Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) – East Java
2. General Soeharto – Central Java
3. Marsinah – East Java
4. Mochtar Kusumaatmaja – West Java
5. Hajjah Rahma El Yunusiyyah – West Sumatra
6. Gen. (Ret.) Sarwo Edhie Wibowo – Central Java
7. Sultan Muhammad Salahuddin – West Nusa Tenggara
8. Syaikhona Muhammad Kholil – East Java
9. Tuan Rondahaim Saragih – North Sumatra
10. Zainal Abidin Syah – North Maluku

The inclusion of figures such as Marsinah, a labor activist killed during the early 1990s under Soeharto’s rule, and Sarwo Edhie Wibowo, a general involved in the military’s early anti-communist operations, added further layers of historical complexity to this year’s selection.

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