Alleged rights abuser is made Indonesia’s defence chief

A FEW short months ago, Joko Widodo, the Indonesian president, and Prabowo Subianto, a former army general with a chequered human rights record, were bitter rivals at the ballot box.

But on Wednesday, the president, 57, now entering his second term, brushed their political animosity aside to appoint the once-feared Mr Prabowo, 67, as his defence minister.

The decision to include the former special forces commander in his cabinet has raised concerns that the new administration will make economic growth and political stability a priority over civil rights and democracy.

The move follows several weeks of violent unrest and mass demonstrations across the country over a draconian draft penal code that would curb civil liberties, prevent the demilitarisation of the restive Papua region, and undermine environmental concerns.

As the son-in-law of the late dictator Suharto, Mr Prabowo was accused of orchestrating the kidnapping and torture of activists ahead of anti-government protests in 1998. He has never been charged, but allegations of rights abuses reportedly led to him being banned from the US and discharged from the military he will now oversee.

Usman Hamid, Amnesty International’s Indonesia director, called the appointment “a dark day for human rights in this country”.

Mr Prabowo, a fiery nationalist who courted Islamic hardliners during his campaign, refused to concede defeat after the election in April, accusing Mr Joko’s camp of “massive cheating”.