Likely Winner of Indonesian Presidency Has Contentious History

The likely winner of Indonesia’s presidential election is Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, following an unofficial count of Wednesday’s vote. The prospect of his win is alarming to rights groups due to his history of alleged human rights violations — allegations that are little known among young Indonesian voters.

In 1998, Prabowo was fired from the military after allegations he ordered the kidnapping of pro-democracy activists, over a dozen of whom are still missing. He has also been accused of human rights abuses in East Timor.

Having been ousted from the military, he went into voluntary exile in Jordan. He had previously been barred from entering the United States.

Prabowo has denied the allegations against him and has never been formally charged.

His candidacy has raised red flags among activists who fear a potential regression of democratic liberties.

“I am still concerned that Prabowo … could roll back reforms achieved with tears and blood of my fellow student activists,” said Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia.

This is Prabowo’s third time running for office. He unsuccessfully ran for vice president in 2009 with ex-president Megawati Sukarnoputri. He lost the 2014 and 2019 elections to outgoing President Joko Widodo, who has since endorsed him.

By appointing Prabowo as defense minister, Widodo gave Prabowo a degree of validation and prominence that had eluded him after his election losses. Notably, his visit to the Pentagon in 2020 marked the end of his de facto travel ban to the United States.

Leading up to the election, Prabowo has undergone a stark image shift. Turning away from his background in military nationalism, he has cultivated a popular online presence, with over 9 million followers on Instagram and viral videos on TikTok, which have attracted the support of younger Indonesians.

Throughout the campaign, his plump-cheeked AI-created animated character delighted Gen Z voters by showcasing Korean-style finger hearts and tenderly holding his cherished cat, Bobby.

University student Stephanie Iskandar told VOA many young Indonesians are uninformed about his past and have been greatly swayed by the campaign’s social media presence.

“They become very vulnerable with all of this political communication with the young way and with the TikTok,” she said at a campaign rally before the election.

Prabowo leans into the disconnect between his past and his new image.

“Maybe the perception of me was that I was tough, scary. I am not scary now,” he said in a recent television interview, referring to his time as a soldier.

Some information for this report was provided by the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.