Suharto's nearly 32-year rule considered one of the most brutal, corrupt regimes in 20th century
Human rights activists have criticized the Indonesian government for including former military dictator Suharto, much criticized for authoritarianism, in a list of individuals nominated for recognition as national heroes.
The reactions came after Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf to Fadli Zon, chairman of the Council for Titles, Medals, and Honors, announced a list of 40 individuals nominated for the honor, on Oct. 23.
The minister is expected to submit the list to President Prabowo Subianto, a former military officer and his son-in-law, for approval before the formal award ceremony on National Hero Day on Nov. 10.
Suharto's iron-fisted rule from 1967 until his resignation in 1998, after a mass uprising, is considered one of the most brutal and corrupt in the 20th century.
His administration was accused of mass rights violations, arbitrary killings, and the disappearance of thousands, including alleged communists, students, and ethnic Chinese.
Following his ouster, Suharto was also named a defendant in an alleged corruption case involving seven of his social foundations.
An investigation by the Attorney General's Office uncovered corruption totaling US$419 million. However, the prosecutor's office dropped the trial in 2006, citing Suharto's poor health.
Family members of those killed and disappeared during his tenure have been largely denied justice.
"Suharto does not deserve to be on the list. Stop this attempt to distort history," Usman Hamid, Indonesia chapter head for Amnesty International, said on Oct. 24.
Hamid said the attempt was "the greatest betrayal of the people's mandate since 1998," and added that if the proposal gets through, it would mean the end of the reform birthed by the public protests that year.
"Proposing Suharto as a hero also ignores the suffering of the victims and their families, who have yet to receive justice," he added.
Andre Yunus, Deputy Coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS), said his organization has submitted records of serious human rights violations during Suharto's era to the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Social Affairs.
Suharto "used military force to commit violence," making him unworthy of the title, he told UCA News.
Guntur Romli, spokesperson for the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said bestowing the title will also obscure the dark record of human rights violations that occurred during Suharto's reign.
Minister Saifullah Yusuf claimed the proposal had been adopted after a series of discussions.
"Now, everything will depend on the Council for Titles, Medals, and Honors,... the formal requirements have been met," he said. "We respect differences of opinion, both within the team itself and within the community."
Rights activists warned there were efforts to restore Suharto's image after Subianto became the president last year.
Last September, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the supreme legislative branch of the state, removed Suharto's criminal record, arguing he had died in 2008.
This paved the way for him to be granted a national hero status. The decree had explicitly named Suharto and his family as perpetrators of crimes, including corruption, collusion, and nepotism.