SUHARTO (1921-2008) : A legacy divided

32 YEARS OF RULE WITH AN IRON FIST: Allies and critics of former president Suharto, who died yesterday aged 86, agree that his legacy still looms large in Indonesia's political, economic and cultural life. Suharto's autocratic rule, over more than three decades, was marked by rampant corruption, cronyism and widespread human abuses. But ethnic blood-letting, a ruined economy and weak government in the years after Suharto's fall led some Indonesians to yearn for a return to his tough style of leadership. That view faded as Indonesia embraced democracy and recovered, and many could never forgive the graft and human rights abuses of the Suharto era. Suharto's stamp on Indonesia was, however, so strong that a decade after his ouster, the country is still struggling to deal with his legacy...  More news please from Indonesia Local Newspaper at http://indonesianewspaper.blogspot.com/