Here are 10 things to know about the Indonesian President.
A political blood
Prabowo was born in an elite political family. His father, Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, was one of Indonesia’s most prominent economists, and served in the cabinets of both Presidents Sukarno and Suharto.
Attended to military school in the US
The Indonesian president studied at the American School in London, and attended military courses in the US, including at Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning).
Was married to Suharto’s daughter
Prabowo married former President Suharto’s daughter Siti Hediati Hariyadi in 1983. However, The couple separated soon after Suharto was ousted in 1998. They have one son.
Accused of human rights abusesP
Prabowo was a three-star lieutenant general before being dismissed from the military also in 1998. He has been accused of involvement in the kidnapping of student activists and rights abuses in Papua and East Timor. However, Jokowi Widodo, the outgoing president, gave him the honorary rank of four-star general in 2024.
Banned from entering the US
There was a de facto ban on Prabowo’s entry into the US because of the alleged human rights abuses. He has, however, denied all allegations and they are unproven.
Attempting an image transformation
Prabowo, who is now 73 years old, portrays a completely different image. He is often seen on social media doing viral dance moves, and posing with his cat, Bobby. This new image of him is a contrast to his past reputation as a fiery nationalist, who for a while was in self-imposed exile in Jordan.
Got international attention at the Shangri-La Dialogue
Prabowo was the Defence Minister under then President Jokowi Widodo. He caught everyone’s attention at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore last June after he spoke about Indonesian peacekeepers going into Gaza, and proposed a UN referendum on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as a demilitarised zone between the two countries.
Seemingly made concessions to China
The leader is seen to have made concessions on the South China Sea issue in September 2024. A joint statement between the two countries agreed to jointly develop “areas of overlapping claims”. This implied a shift in Indonesia’s previous stance to one that recognised China’s nine-dash line.
However, Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement in Indonesian, clarifying that the joint statement does not imply Indonesia’s recognition of the nine-dash line.
Likely to be ally with Donald Trump
Prabowo is likely to maintain a good relationship with the newly-elected US President Donald Trump. When Trump won the US presidency, Prabowo was one of the first world leaders to call and congratulate him, addressing him as “sir”. When Trump complimented his English, Prabowo reportedly replied, “All my training is American, sir.”
Indonesia became a full member of the BRICS under President Probowo
Prabowo recently announced that Indonesia is now officially a full member of BRICS, expressing a desire to serve as a “bridge between developed and developing nations” .
