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Comment: Soeharto deserves to be hero
Oct
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em>Oct. 25, Online: The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) says former dictator Soeharto deserves to be named a national hero. “Judging from [Soeharto’s] contributions to this country during his 32-year reign, we believe he deserves to be named a national hero,” PKS secretary general Anis Matta told reporters at the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Monday.
“Soeharto’s most significant contribution was to our country’s development,” he added. Anis said even though many critics thought most of Soeharto’s accomplishments were made possible because of foreign debt, the PKS did not see that as a major problem. “We are still borrowing from abroad,” Anis said. “Besides, no heroes are completely innocent,” he added.
Your comments:
Soeharto knew that people would be impressed by material progress like roads and electricity. But
he totally neglected other aspects of society.
Part of his legacy is that
Indonesia, following his example, is one of the most corrupt countries
on the planet and the education standards are among the lowest. He stole
huge amounts of money from the people, and practiced cronyism and
nepotism.
He ran an authoritarian regime with strict censorship and abundant
propaganda and it is obviously still bearing fruit for him today with
some still believing he is a hero.
He cleverly created a “common enemy” — communism — and used that to
justify mass killings of hundreds of thousands of his political
opponents.
Nairdah
Sydney
