Ratna Sari Dewi Sukarno (Photo: Japan Today)From correspondents in Tokyo
Agence France-Presse
THE widow of Indonesia's founding president Sukarno says she will never forgive his successor Suharto, likening him to Pol Pot for his repression.
Suharto seized power from Sukarno in 1965-66 and ruled with an iron fist for another three decades.
Suharto was buried today in a state funeral in central Java after a long illness.
"I don't want to lash out at a dead man but I cannot forgive Suharto," said Japanese-born Ratna Sari Dewi Sukarno, Sukarno's third wife.
"He was Indonesia's Pol Pot," she said, referring to the late leader of Cambodia's genocidal Khmer Rouge.
Ms Dewi, a former bar hostess born as Naoko Nemoto, married Sukarno at age 19 in 1962 after he was charmed by her on a state visit to Tokyo.
After Sukarno died under house arrest in 1970, she returned to Japan where she has become a television personality and runs a jewellery and cosmetics business.
Despite Indonesia's economic progress under Suharto, his tenure was marked by repression, from the killings of at least half a million communists and their sympathisers from 1966 to invading East Timor and quelling separatist movements in Aceh and Papua.
Ms Dewi blamed Suharto both for the death of her husband - "the man who declared independence and became Indonesia's first president" - and for the mass killings throughout the country.
"Although he had a soft face, he could be cruel and heartless at the same time," said Ms Dewi, who met Suharto several times.
"You could not tell what he was like on the inside. What he said and what he did were two different things," she said.
Suharto also left a legacy of corruption, bleeding up to $US35 billion ($40bn) out of the Indonesian economy, according to the anti-graft watchdog Transparency International.
"Even today, many Indonesians suffer from that legacy and the income gap continues to widen," Ms Dewi said.
She scolded Suharto for not making court appearances late in his life to answer corruption charges, citing illness.
"He ended his life living among friends," she said. "I think he was a very lucky man."
Suharto was laid to rest with full military honours in his family mausoleum in the town of Matesih in a state funeral attended by many of the world's leading political figures.
Condolences also poured in from around the world.
He died of organ failure yesterday at the age of 86.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono gave a short speech as close relatives covered his coffin with rose and jasmin petals during the ceremony.
He was buried next to his wife, Siti Suhartinah, who died in 1996.
Hundreds of mourners gathered along the flag-lined road leading to the mausoleum on the main island of Java to pay their respects as his funeral processsion passed.
Suharto seized power from Sukarno in 1965-66 and ruled with an iron fist for another three decades.
Suharto was buried today in a state funeral in central Java after a long illness.
"I don't want to lash out at a dead man but I cannot forgive Suharto," said Japanese-born Ratna Sari Dewi Sukarno, Sukarno's third wife.
"He was Indonesia's Pol Pot," she said, referring to the late leader of Cambodia's genocidal Khmer Rouge.
Ms Dewi, a former bar hostess born as Naoko Nemoto, married Sukarno at age 19 in 1962 after he was charmed by her on a state visit to Tokyo.
After Sukarno died under house arrest in 1970, she returned to Japan where she has become a television personality and runs a jewellery and cosmetics business.
Despite Indonesia's economic progress under Suharto, his tenure was marked by repression, from the killings of at least half a million communists and their sympathisers from 1966 to invading East Timor and quelling separatist movements in Aceh and Papua.
Ms Dewi blamed Suharto both for the death of her husband - "the man who declared independence and became Indonesia's first president" - and for the mass killings throughout the country.
"Although he had a soft face, he could be cruel and heartless at the same time," said Ms Dewi, who met Suharto several times.
"You could not tell what he was like on the inside. What he said and what he did were two different things," she said.
Suharto also left a legacy of corruption, bleeding up to $US35 billion ($40bn) out of the Indonesian economy, according to the anti-graft watchdog Transparency International.
"Even today, many Indonesians suffer from that legacy and the income gap continues to widen," Ms Dewi said.
She scolded Suharto for not making court appearances late in his life to answer corruption charges, citing illness.
"He ended his life living among friends," she said. "I think he was a very lucky man."
Suharto was laid to rest with full military honours in his family mausoleum in the town of Matesih in a state funeral attended by many of the world's leading political figures.
Condolences also poured in from around the world.
He died of organ failure yesterday at the age of 86.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono gave a short speech as close relatives covered his coffin with rose and jasmin petals during the ceremony.
He was buried next to his wife, Siti Suhartinah, who died in 1996.
Hundreds of mourners gathered along the flag-lined road leading to the mausoleum on the main island of Java to pay their respects as his funeral processsion passed.
11 comments:
This is what I called a wow factor in the beauty of a lady in comparison with Hun Sen's wife's beauty. NO COMPARISON THERE!
In fact the picture was taken since 1964.She an old lady now.
What about her grand daughters?
The grand daughters must be very good looking in comparison with our ugly Fuck Lady in Cambodia.
No, I think this photo is taken recently.This lady is very beautiful when she was young.
However, this lady is not that good. She always makes laughable comments in Japanese TV. I think this commet is damn shit too that she makes a comparison between Suharto and Pol Pot. Suharto was a kind of dictator but at least he brought propserity to Indonesia. For some circumstances, this kind of leader is necessary. Our leader, Pol Pot, is fuuccking damn shit. We can see the legacy of Pol Pot and his comrades' regime. As for lady above, many Japaneses do not think seriously on what she comments, she always makes nonsense comments. Her younger brother committed suicide after she married Surkano as third lady. Japan respects monogammy culture. Now she has an european boyfriend who is much younger than she is.
Did Prime Minister Hun Sen and Dick Cheney attend their late friend's wake?
The U.S. will certainly continue supporting dictors throughout the world as long as these dicators able to catch their last breath for the sake of U.S. national interests.
I'm sure Mr. Hun Sen will give her a big share of Cambodian land for a piece of her (just like our former king did in his early life).
The same case of ah Hun Sen when he is died. Hun Sen is a former khmer rouge soldier and is the criminal against humanity in Cambodia.
Don't speak out while yo do nothing for Cambodia, while you don't come to Cambodia to face reality. Samdech Deho Hun Sen is doing things well enough for Cambodia. We have to take that fact. Don't just criticize.
I'D BET MR. HUN SEN IS DROOLING OVER THIS PICTURE.
IT'S TOO BAD YOU RAN OUT OF VIAGARA!
Indonesia will NEVER FORGET HERO Pak Jendral Suharto- loyal and brave warrior against the4hated Dutch and their British and Austrlian mercenaries.
Suharto now resides in the burial plot of all Java's Royals- Astana Giribangun and has thousands of worshipers pay respects to him every year.
It is a lie Suharto and Sukarno wee on bad terms- they knew each other since 1942 as they both were PETA and intimate friends of Hangkubuawan, Hatta and Sudirman.
It was Sukarno's dalliances with the hated Chinese that turn ALL Indonesia against him.
Suharto killed not less than one million of PKI members or supporters during 65-66, killed also not less of 200,000 east timorians while invading this country.
He also helped with weapons, logistic and experience in killings to Lon Nol (who killed himself and with the help of US bombings not less than 600,000 cambodians).
Now, why some people say Suharto is a hero??? for me he`s nothing but one of the most brutal mass murderers o world history.
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