Protesters hold banners that read “Reject the national hero title for Soeharto” during a protest on May 15 in front of the Social Affairs Ministry's office in Jakarta.

Analysis: Soeharto, national hero? Rehabilitating corruption, repression

Barring any last-minute political twists, President Prabowo Subianto's administration appears poised to crown Indonesia's second president and Prabowo's former father-in-law Soeharto as a national hero. The move would mark a dramatic turn in the country's reckoning with its authoritarian past, as no previous president had dared to officially honor the man whose 32-year rule was synonymous with repression, corruption, and nepotism.

11 hours ago

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Analysis: Purbaya emerges as Prabowo's trusted hand in managing state finances

President Prabowo Subianto appears to have found in Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa a trusted figure capable of managing Indonesia's state finances with both discipline and political loyalty. In just a few months on the job, Purbaya has shown a willingness to take on elite power brokers, both within the government and from circles close to former president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo,...

1 day ago

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Analysis: Timor-Leste joins the ASEAN club, with Prabowo's signature

Timor-Leste formally joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during the group's summit in Kuala Lumpur, after a long wait, thanks in no small measure to the tireless support of Indonesia, which once brutally occupied the tiny territory. ...

2 days ago