Soeharto's critic Hoegeng dies at 83
Soeharto's critic Hoegeng dies at 83
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
For Soeharto, at least during his 32-year rule, former
National Police chief Gen. (ret) Hoegeng Iman Santoso, along with
other members of a group of government critics known as the Group
of 50, was a strident political critic who appeared to have no
fear of the strongman despite Soeharto's normally harsh stance
against dissent.
For many Indonesians, he will be always remembered for his
Hawaiian music group, the Irama Lautan Teduh (Tunes of the
Peaceful Sea). The group appeared regularly on TVRI, until
Soeharto ordered the state TV station to drop the show as
retaliation against the Group of 50. He was also known as a
painter.
The "singing general" died on Wednesday at the age of 83 after
suffering from heart problems and stomach bleeding. His courage
in continuously urging Soeharto to step down from the early 1980s
until his fall in 1998, set an example to the people that what
the nation needed was not only a leader, but also a person who
was brave enough to express the people's aspiration.
His stance against corruption was proved by his clean track
record in the various government positions he held.
He also regularly attended the trials of antigovernment
activists, including current House of Representatives deputy
speaker A.M. Fatwa. He himself was never taken to court.
Hoegeng was admitted to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital
(RSCM) in Central Jakarta on May 13, 2004, and has been in
intensive care ever since.
Although a war veteran who had the right to be buried in the
Kalibata National Heroes Cemetery, he said that he wanted to be
buried in an ordinary cemetery. He was finally laid to rest at
Parung Raya, Bogor, on Wednesday.
Born on Oct. 14, 1921, in Pekalongan, Central Java, Hoegeng
was also known as a police chief who firmly enforced the
regulation requiring motorcyclists to wear crash helmets. He
headed the National Police from 1968 to 1971. He was appointed
police chief by president Soekarno.
In 1965, he was promoted by president Soekarno to the office
of minister of taxes for one year. He also held the position of
cabinet secretary and minister for one year in 1966.
After finishing his term as police chief, Soeharto offered him
an ambassadorship to a European country. He turned down the offer
saying he had no talents as a diplomat.
Several prominent figures, including Taufik Kiemas, the
husband of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, and presidential
aspirant Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono paid their last
respects to Hoegeng at his residence in Depok, West Java, before
he was laid to rest on Wednesday afternoon.