The unofficial Khalistan Referendum in Ottawa concluded amid controversy, with reports of Indian flag desecration and anti-India politician slogans. Thousands of Canadian Sikhs participated in the non-binding vote organized by Sikhs for Justice, despite freezing weather
Protests Erupt In Indonesia As Government Awards Late President Suharto 'National Hero' Status
Protests Erupt In Indonesia As Government Awards Late President Suharto 'National Hero' Status
Protests have erupted in Indonesia after the government on Monday awarded the tile of national hero to late President Suharto, who was forced out of office in 1998 ending a three-decade rule marred by accusations of mass human rights violations, corruption and nepotism.
The title was conferred in a ceremony attended by President Prabowo Subianto, Suharto's former son-in-law.
“A prominent figure from Central Java province, a hero of the struggle for independence, General Suharto stood out since the independence era," Reuters quoted an announcer as saying as Prabowo handed the award to Suharto's daughter and son.
Suharto, who died in 2008, was one of 10 people who received the title on Monday.
The deceased leader formally became President in 1967 after he seized control from Indonesia's first President and independence leader Sukarno.
Every year, the government awards the title of national hero to those who have contributed significantly to the Southeast Asian archipelago's development.
Meanwhile, protests against honouring Suharto began last week.
According to BBC, around 100 people gathered in Jakarta last week to protest Suharto's nomination, while nearly 16,000 have signed an online petition asking the same.
One of the protesters, Tadius Priyo Utomo (47), an Indonesian living in East Timor, was one of tens of thousands of students who protested across the country against Suharto in 1998.
“Our past struggles will be disregarded… we are the traitors to the country because we fought Suharto and he is now a hero," Utomo told Reuters at a protest last week in Jakarta.
In an earlier statement, BBC quoted NGO Amnesty Indonesia as saying the move would be an attempt to “whitewash the sins of Suharto's authoritian regime", calling it an “attempt to distort history".
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“How could the man most responsible for one of history's greatest genocides, when he seized power, be made a national hero? It's utterly absurd," said Usman Hamid of Amnesty International Indonesia.
“It is a blatant whitewashing of historical crimes. This decision ignores the aspirations of civil society, including victims of human rights violations who continue to demand justice."
Source: News18
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The unofficial Khalistan Referendum in Ottawa concluded amid controversy, with reports of Indian flag desecration and anti-India politician slogans. Thousands of Canadian Sikhs participated in the non-binding vote organized by Sikhs for Justice, despite freezing weather
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