Encyclopaedia Britannica: History of Indonesia - Indonesia after Suharto
- #news
- #headline
Figure timeline
Suharto
Suharto was an Indonesian general and politician who served as the second and longest-serving president of Indonesia from 1967 to 1998.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
politics · President of Indonesia from 1967 to 1998 · politician · military personnel · also Suharto, Muhammad Suharto, Soeharto
Born 8 June 1921 · Died 27 January 2008 · Q44819
68 published statements · 0 followers
See & hear
Photos & media
3 photos · 1 audio
Listen
En-us-Suharto from Indonesia pronunciation (Voice of America)
Media from Wikimedia Commons, hotlinked at the source under its own licence — see each file for author and terms.
Live now
In the news
Pulling headlines from trusted outlets — this usually takes a few seconds
Checking the wires…
Feed scan
These are live links, not archived citations — they only join the timeline once a collect run verifies and archives them.
Live pulse
Recent highlights
Most recent outstanding titles, awards, and quotes
- Quote
- Award
2026· 3 entries
Public attention spiked: 6,272 Wikipedia readers in one day, 6.1× the usual 1,034, with 2 article edits. Editors noted: Rise to power
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #attention
- #spike
- #pageviews
The New York Times: Acid Attack in Indonesia Evokes Brutality of Suharto Era
- #news
- #headline
2025· 1 entry
AFP Fact Check rated the claim “Suharto comments on Jokowi's fake diploma” False.
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
- #fact-check
- #rated
- #claim-about-figure
2024· 2 entries
The Star: Suharto’s children issue apology after his name is removed from graft decree
- #news
- #headline
scmp.com: Prabowo’s victory: Indonesian youths pine for Suharto era, others warn about his dark history
- #news
- #headline
2019· 1 entry
The Economist: Suharto’s end-game
- #news
- #headline
2011· 1 entry
And 2018 have found Suharto to be the most successful in carrying out his duties as president
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
2008· 9 entries
CBS News: Former Indonesian Dictator Suharto Dies
- #news
- #headline
NPR: Longtime Indonesian Strongman Suharto Dies at 86
- #news
- #headline
Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Suharto's body arrives home
- #news
- #headline
Died 2008-01-27.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #death
Time: Suharto: Twilight of the God
- #news
- #headline
“To the Indonesian people, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity are very important principles; they do not only constitute our rights and honour, but they also serve as one of the important instruments for nation building in its broadest sense.”
- #wikiquote
- #saying
- #undated
- #lang:en
“National independence and the peoples' sovereignty are basic principles to which we fully adhere. We maintain and at the same time apply these principles in our attitude towards other nations in the world.”
- #wikiquote
- #saying
- #undated
- #lang:en
“However, the Indonesian people believe that the means for defence, which are decisive and at the same time advantageous, are the conviction in its own national identity and the standard of prosperity of its people.”
- #wikiquote
- #saying
- #undated
- #lang:en
“In this world, that still contains greed to influence other nations' internal affairs which in some instances were conducted by force of arms we also realize the necessity of a physical defence capable of protecting the Indonesian nation and our country's integrity.”
- #wikiquote
- #saying
- #undated
- #lang:en
2006· 1 entry
Attorney General Abdurrahman announced that a team of twenty doctors would be asked to evaluate Suharto's health and fitness for trial
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
2003· 1 entry
Suharto's half-brother Probosutedjo was tried and convicted for corruption and the loss of $10 million from the Indonesian state
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
2002· 2 entries
Suharto's son Tommy Suharto was sentenced to 15 years' jail for ordering the killing of a judge (who had previously convicted him of corruption), illegal weapons possession, and fleeing justice
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
But then doctors cited an unspecified brain disease
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1998· 1 entry
“Text of Suharto's Resignation Speech”
- #wikiquote
- #quote
1997· 3 entries
Awarded Grand Cross of the Order of Good Hope (1997).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #award
- #achievement
Which eventually lead to the end of Suharto's presidency
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Forbes listed Suharto as the fourth richest person in the world with an individual net worth of $16 billion, despite drawing an annual salary in his last peak year of only $21,000
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1995· 2 entries
Suharto released a special 1,54 troy ounce gold coin worth of 850,000 rupiah with his face on one side of the coin in the celebration of 50th anniversary of Indonesian Independence
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
To help mediate the ongoing conflict (even though a UN-owned aircraft that passed through Bosnia was shot down two days earlier)
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1993· 2 entries
The Purna Bhakti Pertiwi Museum was opened on the initiative of Tien Suharto
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
(most of the vessels were of scrap-value), the Ministry of Information ordered the offending publications be closed down on 21 June 1994
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1992· 3 entries
While Indonesia became a founding member of APEC in 1989 and host to the Bogor APEC Summit in 1994
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
“Address by His Excellency President Soeharto of the Republic of Indonesia at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development Rio de Janeiro”
- #wikiquote
- #quote
Career landmark: Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement (1992–1995).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #milestone
1991· 2 entries
Took up the name of Haji Mohammad Suharto, and promoted Islamic values and the careers of Islamic-oriented generals
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Was given the Islamic name "Mohammad" by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and received the honorific title Hajji
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1989· 2 entries
Led to a military operation which killed 2,000 people and ended the insurgency by 1992
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Suharto issued a decree granting his daughter Tutut 75% of profits from all toll roads her group operated jointly with Jasa Marga, driving costs up still further
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1986· 1 entry
Was awarded the Ceres Medal by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for achieving self-sufficiency in rice production
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1984· 1 entry
The Suharto government sought increased control over the press by issuing a law requiring all media to possess a press operating license (Surat Izin Usaha Penerbitan Pers, SIUPP) which could be revoked at any time by Mi
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1983· 1 entry
Which obliged all organizations in Indonesia to adhere to Pancasila as a fundamental principle
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1981· 1 entry
Awarded Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (1981).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #award
- #achievement
1980· 1 entry
Fifty prominent political figures signed the Petition of Fifty, which criticised Suharto's use of Pancasila to silence his critics
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1978· 1 entry
The government began requiring a Letter of Proof of Citizenship of the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesian: Surat Bukti Kewarganegaraan Republik Indonesia, or SBKRI)
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1977· 3 entries
Awarded Member 1st Class of the Order of the Umayyads (1977).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #award
- #achievement
Led to the dispatch of small special forces detachments who quickly either killed or forced the movement's members to flee abroad
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Recorded a "bull run", due to a spree of domestic IPOs and an influx of foreign funds after the deregulation in 1990
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1975· 2 entries
The state-owned oil company, Pertamina, defaulted on its foreign loans as a result of mismanagement and corruption under the leadership of Suharto's close ally, Ibnu Sutowo
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Followed by a 23-year occupation of the country and genocide
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1974· 1 entry
The neighbouring colony of Portuguese Timor descended into civil war after the withdrawal of Portuguese authority following the Carnation Revolution, whereby the left-wing populist Fretilin (Portuguese: Frente Revolucion
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1973· 2 entries
Resulted in primary school enrolment ratio reaching 90% by 1983 while almost eliminating the education gap between boys and girls
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
“It is not the military strength of the Communists, but their fanaticism and ideology which is the principal element of their strength. To consider this, each country in the area needs an ideology of its own with which to counter the Communists. But a national ideology is not enough by itself. The well being of the people must be improved so that it strengthens and supports the national ideology.”
- #wikiquote
- #quote
1970· 1 entry
As part of a momentous visit to normalize the Indonesia–Malaysia relations
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1969· 2 entries
Suharto decided to take over control of an obscure military-run federation of NGOs called Golkar ("Functional Groups") and transform it into his electoral vehicle under the coordination of his right-hand man Ali Murtopo
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
And forced his early retirement from the military in 1972
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1968· 3 entries
“Speech transcript at state dinner”
- #wikiquote
- #quote
And ordered several military operations that ended the communist PGRS-Paraku insurgency in West Kalimantan (1967–1972)
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Career landmark: Minister of Defence (1968–1971).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #milestone
1967· 3 entries
Generals Hartono Rekso Dharsono, Kemal Idris, and Sarwo Edhie Wibowo (dubbed "New Order radicals") opposed Suharto's decision to allow participation of existing political parties in elections in favour of a non-ideologic
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Career landmark: Minister of Defence (1967–1968).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #milestone
Career landmark: President of Indonesia (1967–1998).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #milestone
1966· 3 entries
The manufacturing sector made up less than 10% of GDP (mostly industries related to oil and agriculture)
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Career landmark: Minister of Defence (1966–1967).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #milestone
Career landmark: Minister of Defence (1966–1966).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #milestone
1965· 1 entry
Suharto was assigned operational command of Sukarno's Konfrontasi, against the newly formed Malaysia
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1963· 1 entry
While sending Catholic volunteers under Jusuf Wanandi to distribute consumer goods to promote pro-Indonesian sentiments
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1950· 1 entry
As a colonel, he led the Garuda Brigade in suppressing the Makassar uprising, a rebellion of former colonial soldiers who supported the Dutch-established State of East Indonesia and its federal entity, the United States
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1931· 1 entry
Moved to the town of Wonogiri to attend the primary school, living first with Prawirohardjo's son Sulardi, and later with his father's relative Hardjowijono
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1929· 1 entry
Suharto's father took him to live with his sister, who was married to an agricultural supervisor, Prawirowihardjo, in the town of Wuryantoro in a poor and low-yielding farming area near Wonogiri
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1921· 1 entry
Born 1921-06-08.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #birth