Soeharto dead

by. Adianto P. Simamora The Jakarta Post Jakarta

The father of development is dead. Venerated for much of his 32-year tenure as the liberator he appeared to be after more than two decades of authoritarian rule under his predecessor, Sukarno, and vilified near its end for his authoritarian rule and for the corruption he appeared to condone in his later years in office, Indonesia's second president, Soeharto, died quietly on Sunday aged 86 at Pertamina Hospital in Jakarta.
A variety of illnesses had sapped the former military strongman of his vitality during the last years of his life. He leaves behind the partially grown seeds of an ambitious industrial modernization plan and a legacy of sectarian strife and unbridled corruption.
Doctors said Soeharto died at about 1:10 p.m. after suffering multiple organ failure, following 23 days in the hospital's intensive care unit.
The medical team treating Soeharto said his health dramatically deteriorated early Sunday.
They said Soeharto fell unconscious for the first time since his arrival at the hospital on Jan. 4, after his blood pressure fell sharply. The doctors then placed him on a ventilator to allow him to breathe.
"From 3 a.m. on Sunday, his blood pressure declined sharply," said Joko Raharjo, a member of the medical team.
"We tried to increase his blood pressure but it did not work. He was not in a coma, but was unconscious."
Accompanied by Soeharto's daughter, Siti Hardiyanti "Tutut" Rukmana, the team of doctors addressed a press conference, declaring that Soeharto had "peacefully" passed away at 1:10 p.m.
Tutut, Soeharto's eldest daughter, asked the public to forgive her father.
"We, on behalf of the whole family, thank everyone who has prayed for our father," a tearful Tutut said at the media conference. "Please, forgive my farther for all his mistakes."
The former general was admitted to the hospital on Jan. 4. due to anemia and severe edema.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed deep sympathy to Soeharto's family and announced seven days of national mourning, which began Sunday.
Yudhoyono, Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Cabinet ministers and other high-ranking officials paid their last respects to Soeharto at his private residence on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta, where he was laid in state.
The news of Soeharto's death drew people from across the city to Cendana, forcing the police to close the street.
Outside Soeharto's residence, around 100 troops from the Army's Special Forces and Strategic Reserve Command guarded the area as thousands of people came to express their condolences.
Mourners wept while others chanted laa ilaha illallah (there is no God but Allah) as the ambulance carrying Soeharto's body arrived at the home.
Heavy rain fell around Jl. Cendana at about 8 p.m., while the rest of Jakarta was dry.
President Yudhoyono is slated to lead the state funeral for Soeharto at the Astana Giribangun family cemetery in Karanganyar, Central Java, on Monday, at about 11 a.m.
Yudhoyono canceled a trip to Bali to attend a UN conference against corruption which opens Monday, sparking criticism from graft watchdogs who said the cancellation was a sign of the President's ambivalent commitment to the anti-corruption drive.
Soeharto's remains will be laid in state at the At-Tien Mosque at Taman Mini Indonesia in East Jakarta before being flown to Surakarta, Central Java.
A number of foreign dignitaries are expected to attend the funeral. Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong joined mourners who paid homage to Soeharto on Sunday evening. Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, who was jailed during Soeharto's rule, and former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohammad will pay their last respects to Soeharto on Monday morning.
Soeharto assumed power in 1966 after a counter movement against a coup attempt blamed on the communists in 1965. After 32 years of rule, which saw political and economical stability at the expense of freedom and human rights, he stepped down in 1998, following mass protests and rioting.
As he left office, calls rose for his successors to bring him to justice for corruption and human rights abuses, but to no avail.
State prosecutors are filing a civil lawsuit against Soeharto, demanding the return of about US$600 million in state money allegedly stolen by his foundations. During Soeharto's hospitalization, his children had asked for an out-of-court settlement.
The Attorney General's Office dropped corruption charges against Soeharto in May 2006 after his doctors said he was not healthy enough to stand trial.
Director of the Setara Institute rights group, Hendardi, said the final uncertain status of Soeharto served as a bad precedent for the country's law enforcement.
"We have witnessed bankruptcy and discriminatory law enforcement during Yudhoyono's presidency. It is due to the failure of the government to create a breakthrough when Soeharto was still alive," he said.