In tribute to one of the great leaders in Asia, and in our own times, the man that was Ir. Suharto. No doubt, one of the many movers and shakers of the region. The man that was a contemporary of our very own Ferdinand E. Marcos, and so with his death, ends the epoch of the Asian Dictators.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=z_RbTcg7hgMPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono led the ceremony, which began just before noon at
the Suharto family mausoleum near the city of Solo, Suharto's hometown, some 400km east of the capital.
Although he oversaw some of the worst bloodshed of the 20th century, Suharto is credited with developing Indonesia's economy and was buried with the highest state honours.
After a long reading of Suharto's military accomplishments, a shot was fired in his honour and Yudhoyono offered a salute.
"We offer his body to the motherland," Yudhoyono said. "His service is an example to us."
Islamic prayers were said and as his body was lowered, mourners tossed flower petals into his grave. A military band played a dirge.
Tens of thousands of mourners lined the streets of Solo to watch the motorcade carry Suharto's body to the mausoleum, many of them sobbing and calling the name of the man whose brutal rule brought stability to Indonesia.
'A great man'Many waved Indonesian flags and threw flowers at his hearse.
"He was a great man," said Sumartini, a 65-year-old woman who, like many Indonesians, goes by just one name. "His death touched us deeply."
Suharto's body was flown to Solo on Monday morning after a brief ceremony at his Jakarta home, where a string of the country's political elite visited Suharto's family in a sign of his lingering importance.
"May god bless his soul and forgive his mistakes and sins," said Agung Laksono, the speaker of Indonesia's house of representatives.
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