Suharto
(b. 1921), Indonesia's second president. Born 8 June 1921, Suharto, like many Javanese, was given only one name. At age nineteen he joined the Dutch colonial army (KNIL). During the Japanese occupation (1942–1945), he first worked in the Keibuho militia in Yogyakarta, later joining the Volunteer Army of the Defenders of the Fatherland (PETA). After Japanese capitulation he fought for independence from the Dutch; after independence he joined the Indonesian army.
Suharto first acquired prominence in 1961 when, as a major-general, President Sukarno appointed him operational commander under the Supreme Command for the Liberation of West New Guinea (KOTI). Suharto's ascent continued when, as commander of the army's strategic reserve (KOSTRAD),he crushed the supposedly Communist rebellion of 30 September 1965. Assuming command over the army—the preeminent political force in the ensuing turmoil—he led a purge of alleged Communists. By 11 March 1966, Suharto had effectively deposed Sukarno and set out to establish his New Order regime. This was implemented via the nonpartisan, nonideological system of Pancasila Democracy, which professed to foster social harmony and economic development. In March 1967 the Consultative Congress appointed Suharto acting president, and a year later, on 27 March 1968, it made him president.
Former president Suharto in October 1998. (AFP/CORBIS)In 1971 Suharto permitted general elections to confirm his rule. He achieved long-lasting stability because of his successes as "Father of Development." Encouraging oil production and Western investment, he received international awards recognizing Indonesia's successes in food production and family planning. By the late 1980s, however, Indonesia's business community was exasperated at the Suharto family's increasing control of the most lucrative areas of the economy. Moreover, liberal intellectuals were calling for more democracy, and senior military figures had begun working for Suharto's removal. With the military no longer automatically behind him, Suharto diversified his power base by courting the Muslim community. In 1990 he made his first pilgrimage to Mecca. With the Asian economic crisis, his legitimacy collapsed, leading to his resignation on 21 May 1998.
Further Reading
Cribb, Robert, and Colin Brown. (1995) Modern Indonesia: A History since 1945. New York: Longman.
Emmerson, Donald K., ed. (1999) Indonesia beyond Suharto: Polity, Economy, Society, Transition. New York: M. E. Sharpe.
Hill, Hal, ed. (1994) Indonesia's New Order: The Dynamics of Socio-Economic Transformation. St. Leonards, Australia: Allen & Unwin.
Ramage, Douglas E. (1997) Politics in Indonesia: Democracy, Islam, and the Ideology of Tolerance. New York: Routledge.
Vatikiotis, Michael R. J. (1993) Indonesian Politics under Suharto: The Rise and Fall of the New Order. New York: Routledge.
This is the complete article, containing 411 words
(approx. 1 page at 300 words per page).
