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President Suharto of Indonesia resigned in May, following weeks of rioting and protests by demonstrators. He had been president of the Southeast Asian nation for 32 years. “I ask for forgiveness if there have been any mistakes or shortcomings,” the 76-year-old leader said upon resigning. The country’s vice president, Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, a protégé of Suharto’s, took over as president.
The resignation came 10 days after police shot and killed 6 students who were peacefully protesting against the government at the prestigious Trisakti University, in the capital city of Jakarta. The killings shocked the nation, and more than 500 people died in the rioting and looting that broke out in the days that followed.
The steep decline in economic conditions in Indonesia since last year sparked the protests. By October 1997, the national currency (the rupiah) had lost 75 percent of its value, causing severe economic hardship within Indonesia and much of Asia. Conditions worsened earlier this year, after the government agreed to impose tough austerity measures as a
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condition for receiving a $43 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Suharto, a five-star general, came to power in 1965, when he crushed a Communist coup. Half a million Indonesians were killed in the violence that followed his takeover and the suppression of the Communist party.
Although he is credited with having brought stability to Indonesia, Suharto and his family were reported to be extraordinarily corrupt. The Suhartos reportedly own as much as 10 percent of the country’s assets.
Indonesia won independence from the Netherlands in 1945. With 210 million people it is the fourth most populous country in the world and the most populous Muslim country. The island nation is also large, with an area about three times the size of Texas.
- What events led up to the resignation of President Suharto?Answer
- What is the population of Indonesia?Answer
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