Controversies Live On After Suharto’s Death in Indonesia

On Monday, a day after his death, former Indonesian President Suharto was given a state funeral and buried in Java, sparking mixed reaction as Indonesians recalled both the strong points and the controversial (even despotic) sides of the man who was their nation’s leader for more than 30 years.

BBC:

Suharto, who ruled Indonesia for more than three decades, was credited with leading his country from poverty to relative prosperity.

But he was dogged by allegations of corruption, political repression and serious human rights abuses.

Hundreds of thousands of suspected communists were killed as he rose to power in the 1960s.

He was ousted by mass protests in 1998 and in recent years suffered from poor health - one of the reasons why he never faced trial.

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AP photo / Vincent Thian

A Suharto supporter holds up an image of the former president on Jan. 12.