Contents
Suharto
Ruling Indonesia’s authoritarian New Order after the army-led mass killings of 1965–1966.
Mass killings · East Timor invasion
- Born
- 8 June 1921
- Birthplace
- Kemusuk, Indonesia
- Died
- 27 January 2008
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Suharto was an Indonesian general and president whose New Order combined economic development with political repression, military power and family patronage. He held power from 1967 until his resignation in 1998.
Early life
Rural Java
Grew up in farming communities around Yogyakarta.
Military beginnings
Served in the Dutch colonial army and a Japanese-organised military force before joining Indonesia’s independence struggle.
Career
- 1940s–1960s
Army career
Rose through the Indonesian army after the struggle against Dutch rule.
- 1965–1968
Taking power
Suppressed the September 30 Movement, displaced Sukarno and became acting president in 1967 and president in 1968.
- 1968–1998
The New Order
Governed through military influence and tightly controlled politics until economic crisis and protests ended his rule.
Defining events
Mass killings
The army and allied groups killed hundreds of thousands of alleged communist supporters during his rise to power.
East Timor invasion
His government invaded East Timor, beginning a brutal occupation.
Resignation
Stepped down in May amid financial collapse, unrest and demands for reform.
Beyond work
Family patronage
His children accumulated extensive business interests during his presidency.
After office
Faced corruption allegations, but proceedings against him were halted on health grounds; he died in 2008.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Institutional biography and research ↗Additional institutional record ↗Photo: State Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
