Suharto
Former Indonesia president is now in a very critical condition. All Indonesia media as well as the foreign reporters keep a close watch over his probably last-minute existence. Indonesia TV channel update the news live almost every half an hour from RSPP (Rumah Sakit Pusat Pertamina) hospital. The former dictator known to some as the smiling assassin for his hard policy against any opposition during his 32-year dictatorial rule is now raising heated debates among grass root Indonesian including bloggers.
Should he be pardoned? Should people forgive him? Should corruption charges against him be aborted? One thing is clear, however big mistake, and attrocities, he might have done, people respect him when he is lying sick in the hospital depends his life heavily on a ventilator
Wife of Munir, former Labor activist during Suharto’s era, said that she wishes Suharto well, and can forget but cannot forgive him. I don’t know how far the voice echoes to some other Indonesian activists who had felt and experienced the first hand of Suharto’s regime oppression.
It’s easy for others, the common people, to forget and forgive him; but it needs magnanimity for those whose lives and economic conditions has been paralysed by Suharto and his cronies.
Anyway, would you forget his past mistakes and forgive him? Would you want the current government to abort all the coruuption charges against him or would you want it to continue?
@Tim: hi tim, good point. among the so-called priyayi–javanese aristocrat–apology to their ‘people’ is unknown. suharto was no exception. at the same vein, it’s extradinary to ask Mbak Tutut–Soeharto’s daughter–asking for apology for her father in front of a bunch of tv cameras soon after her father’s death.
Suharto is a Smiling Assassin? How could u say like that? Sir, it is a slander as long as u can’t give a real chapter & verse. We’re moslem, n I think u know how to say bout other people. Forgive him as a moslem, even the law should not be stopped
U know, I like ur blog
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
the worst of him I think is he’s been broken the law in Indonesia >:(