The president-elect of Indonesia is bad news for indigenous West Papuans

The Indonesian New Boss is bad news for West Papua and other freedom fighters. The people of Indonesia flocked into the election polls on February 15, 2024, to elect their presidential leader after President Joko Widodo reached his term limit as permitted by the Indonesian constitution. Mr. Prabowo Subianto won the election and will be sworn in as president of the Republic of Indonesia. And while the world hailed the result of the election as a successful “democratic election,” the election of a hardline former military boss is bad for West Papua and every other separatist throughout Indonesia. Who is Mr. Subianto? 

The president-elect

Mr. Prabowo Subianto is not a stranger to Indonesia and the conflict in West Papua and other dissenting voices throughout Indonesia. He was on the front in the fight against dissenting voices and separatist organizations within Indonesian borders, particularly the ‘self-determination movement’ in East Timor and the opposition to the dictator Suharto.

Mr. Subianto studied at the Indonesian Military Academy in 1970 and served in the Indonesian Special Force known as the Kopassus, one of the elite forces in Indonesia. He served almost three decades in the military—a long and controversial career, which was rigged with corruption, violence, torture, and murder.

Connection to Suharto

Suharto was Indonesian dictator throughout the Cold War era. He went into exile after the country rose up against him in 1999.

Mr. Subianto was married to the daughter of the former dictator of Indonesia, President Suharto – a man who ruled his country for more than three decades with absolute brutality. Though they were separated, he remained a controversial figure in the Indonesian military throughout his father-in-law’s reign of terror. Mr. Subianto was linked to controversial military operations, such as the massacre of East Timorese in the 1980s and the violent crackdown of the anti-Chinese protests1998 protests and protest against Suharto. He was the man in charged of Kopassus, and was responsible for the human rights violations at the time.

Dishonorable discharge

After months of investigation into his role in kidnapping, torture, and murder of anti-government protesters. Mr. Subianto was discharged dishonorably without facing the courts for his crimes. He returned to private life and became a businessman. 

Subianto vs. Widodo

In 2019, Mr. Subianto ran against President Widodo and lost, but refused to accept his loss, and never conceded. However, after his 2024 victory, he swore to carry on some of Widodo’s ambitious plans, which are likely to affect the quest for self-determination in West Papua and other internal matters that Widodo didn’t address. As a far-right hardliner, Mr. Subianto is likely to crack down—as he did when he was in the military—on all so-called separatists and keep his tight control of all provinces far and near Jakarta. He is bad news for West Papuan peaceful protesters and our West Papuan nonviolent advocates through our provinces.

The United States government banned Subianto for his crimes against the peaceful people of Indonesia.

WPHRC