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‘I was young and naughty’: Prabowo recalls his time in the military
At the height of political, economic and social upheavals in 1998, Prabowo was dismissed from the military for ordering the abduction of pro-democracy activists.
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President-elect Prabowo Subianto (left) and vice president-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka (right) walk past a portrait of President Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo, Gibran's father, during a plenary meeting of the General Elections Commission (KPU) announcing the 2024 presidential election winner in Jakarta on April 24, 2024. (AFP/Adek Berry)
P
resident-elect Prabowo Subianto, who was once dismissed from the Indonesian Military (TNI), apologized on Thursday to his seniors, saying that he was difficult and often caused trouble when he was younger.
“When I was young, I admit that I was naughty, so I apologize to my seniors for causing trouble [for them],” he said during a birthday event for Siti Hardjanti, the wife of the late Gen. Wismoyo Arismunandar, in East Jakarta, on Thursday.
Prabowo, a son of prominent economist Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, was a rising star in the TNI and later married Siti Hediati Hariyadi, the youngest daughter of Soeharto, the country’s longest-serving president and dictator.
At the height of political, economic and social upheavals in 1998, Prabowo was dismissed from the military for ordering the abduction of pro-democracy activists. The activists were later released.
Read also: Budiman’s pivot could shield Prabowo from rights abuse allegations
Despite insisting that the abductions were ordered by his superior, the ad hoc military council that investigated the case found that it was Prabowo’s deliberate act, and he was later dismissed from the TNI for insubordination.
Thursday’s event was attended by retired Army generals from the Soeharto era, including former TNI commander and defense minister Wiranto, former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief AM Hendropriyono and former defense minister Agum Gumelar.
