Indonesia names Suharto national hero despite protests

Indonesia awarded the title of national hero to late president Suharto on November 10, 2025. The former leader was forced out of office in 1998 by violent protests that ended a three-decade rule marred by accusations of mass human rights violations, corruption and nepotism. The title was conferred in a ceremony presided over by Indonesia’s current president Prabowo Subianto, Suharto’s former son-in-law, despite protests by pro-democracy activists and the families of those affected by the strongman’s iron-fisted rule.