Suharto, Thojib I (1921–2008)

Indonesian politician and general, president 1967–98. His authoritarian rule met with domestic opposition from the left, but the Indonesian economy enjoyed significant growth until 1997, when it was hit by a financial crisis which swept Asia. Under his military-dominated ‘New Order’ government, Indonesia pursued a pro-Western, anti-communist policy and there was industrialization and economic growth, improving health, education, and living standards. But there was also political authoritarianism, with dissent crushed, notably with the invasion and 24-year occupation of East Timor, which claimed more than 100,00 lives, and there was widespread corruption in government. Despite deteriorating health, Suharto was re-elected for a sixth time in 1998. But a sharp decline in value of the Indonesian currency (the rupiah) provoked student unrest and food riots. With civil unrest at a critical point, on 21 May 1998 he handed over the presidency to the vice-president, Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie. Attempts after 1998 to bring Suharto to trial on corruption and genocide charges failed because of his ill health.

Born in a small village near Yogyakarta. He joined the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army in 1940. He joined the new Indonesian army during the independence struggle and rose to become major-general. As chief of staff to the country's founding president Sukarno, he brutally crushed a left-wing attempt to overthrow the president, but then assumed power himself in1967 and became president in 1968. He ended confrontation with Malaysia, invaded East Timor in 1975, and reached a cooperation agreement with Papua New Guinea in 1979. After being re-elected in March 1998, Suharto was granted extra powers to deal with the economic crisis. But he rejected economic reforms promoted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and formed a new ‘family cabinet’ composed of relatives and close associates. In August 2000, Suharto, who was under house arrest, was charged with misusing charitable funds; the wealth acquired corruptly by Suharto and his family during his authoritarian rule was estimated at between $15 billion/£9.4 billion and $45 billion/£28 billion. But in September 2000, a court ruled that Suharto was unfit to stand trial, having suffered three strokes in the previous year. In September 2000, Suharto's youngest son, Tommy, admitted corruptly acquiring wealth during Suharto's dictatorship and was arrested in connection with a bomb which exploded in the financial district of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment.

In November 1998, in response to reports that he and his family might be prosecuted for corruption and misuse of power, Suharto turned over to the government his interests in seven foundations worth $528 million/£330 million, wealth he had amassed while in office. In March 2000 his refusal, on the grounds of ill health, to appear before the attorney-general for questioning, provoked violent public demonstrations.