Outcry Over Bestowal of National Hero Title to Soeharto Echoes in Foreign Media

Foreign media outlets are abuzz with news coverage on President Prabowo Subianto awarding Soeharto along with 9 other figures, including the 2nd President Soeharto and the 4th President Abdurrahman Wahid, with the national hero title. The bestowal of the title upon Soeharto has drawn significant attention. Al Jazeera reported with the title “Indonesia makes former president Soeharto posthumous national hero,” focusing on the controversies surrounding the decision. The BBC, a prominent UK media outlet, also addressed the issue in an article titled “Indonesia names ex-dictator Suharto a ‘national hero’”. The Guardian, another UK media, highlighted the backlash against the national hero title for Soeharto in an article titled “Fury as Indonesia declares late authoritarian ruler Suharto a national hero”. Reuters covered the event in an article titled “Indonesia grants national hero status to late strongman President Suharto”. AFP, a French news agency, also contributed with an article titled “Indonesia names late dictator Suharto a national hero.”