Subianto was Indonesia’s defense minister and army general. Alleged human rights abuses in Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea during the military era worry critics.
Former General Prabowo Subianto, with a controversial military past, took office this Sunday in Indonesia, becoming the eighth president of the Asian country.
HE former defense ministerwho succeeds Joko Widodo, won by a wide margin the first round of the presidential elections, held in February, against two other candidates.
“I swear that I will perform my duties as President of the Republic of Indonesia in the best and fairest manner possible, respect the Constitution and apply all laws and regulations as strictly as possible,” Prabowo declared in parliament.
Prabowo Subianto, 73, has been criticized for alleged human rights abuses in East Timor and Papua, as well as for the torture of pro-democracy activists when he was in the army.
Prabowo, a former commander of special forces involved in the 1975 invasion of East Timor, always denied the allegations and was never the subject of criminal proceedings.
Prabowo ran for the third time, after losing to Joko Widodo in 2014 and 2019.
Source: Observadora
