Former Vice President of Indonesia Try Sutrisno Passes Away: A Career Spanning Military and State Leadership
Sorrowful news engulfed Indonesia following the death of the sixth Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Try Sutrisno, who passed away on Monday, 2 March 2026 at approximately 06:58 WIB at RSPAD Gatot Subroto Hospital, Jakarta. The retired four-star general, known as Jenderal TNI (Purn), drew his final breath after decades of service in the military and government sectors.
His death was confirmed by the former Head of RSPAD. “That is correct (former Vice President Try Sutrisno has passed away),” said retired Lieutenant General Albertus Budi Sulistya, former Head of RSPAD, when contacted on Monday, 2 March 2026.
Try Sutrisno’s Career Path
Try Sutrisno was born on 15 November 1935 in Surabaya, East Java. He grew up in the atmosphere of post-independence struggle and helped support his family at a young age. After completing secondary education, he continued to the Military Engineering Academy (ATEKAD) and began his military career from there.
His career within the Indonesian Army (TNI AD) developed gradually. He served as Deputy Commander of the Army General Staff in 1985 and subsequently became Commander of the Army General Staff in 1986. In 1988, he reached the pinnacle of military rank when appointed as Commander of the Armed Forces (Panglima ABRI) in place of L.B. Moerdani.
During his tenure as Commander of ABRI, several national security incidents occurred and became part of Indonesian historical records, including the Talangsari Incident of 1990 and events in Dili, East Timor, in 1991.
His term as Commander of ABRI ended in February 1993. That same year, he was nominated by the ABRI faction during the General Session of the People’s Consultative Assembly as Vice President to accompany President Soeharто. The nomination drew political attention, but he ultimately served as the sixth Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia for the period 1993–1998.
During his tenure, his position was within the political dynamics of the New Order era. His name was mentioned in various speculations as Soeharто’s government approached its end in 1998. However, at the General Session of the People’s Consultative Assembly in 1998, the Vice President position was awarded to B.J. Habibie.
After his tenure as vice president ended, Try Sutrisno remained active in organisational and political activities. He served as Chairman of the Association of Armed Forces Retirees (Pepabri) from 1998–2003. In 2005, he helped establish a forum alongside several national figures such as Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Soekarnoputri, which issued criticism of various government policies at the time.