Photo of Prabowo from news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/460702.stmAmerican trained General Prabowo is said to be a friend of the CIA.
Domingos Guterres, from East Timor, alleges that in 1989 he was tortured for 35 days by soldiers under General Prabowo's command. Guterres claims General Prabowo personally carried out acts of torture.
In the 1983 Kraras massacres in East Timor, about 300 people are believed to have been buried in mass graves after a series of executions that the locals say were carried out under General Prabowo. ( Torture evidence mounts against Indonesian general )
Prabowo is again in the news.
Video: Bachir TV advert
Presidential elections will be held in Indonesia in 2009.
Indonesia is the world's biggest Moslem nation and it is the world's 4th biggest nation in terms of population.
Indonesia guards important sea lanes and has important mineral wealth and a large military.
President Yudhoyono will seek a second term, while his predecessor Megawati Sukarnoputri will also run again.
Two other people who want to become president are Soetrisno Bachir and alleged torturer General Prabowo Subianto. ( Self Promotion Strategies )
Bachir is using TV advertising.
"As of early June 2008, a survey institute, the Lembaga Riset Indonesia (LRI), found Bachir’s 'popularity' had rocketed from 20%, pre-advertising blitz, to 54%. [1] ( Self Promotion Strategies )
Video: Prabowo advert
Lieutenant General Prabowo Subianto, the leader of the new nationalist political party Partai Gerakan Indonesia Raya (Gerindra), is also using television. (Self Promotion Strategies)
In one advertisement Prabowo, as chairman of the Farmers’ Federation, "is shown strolling about fields chatting with, and listening to, men on the land."
Prabowo speaks of his calling to serve the nation.
It has been alleged that the CIA used General Prabowo to topple President Suharto.
In 1998, when Suharto was apparently toppled by the CIA, one of the key generals was Prabowo, son of Dr. Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, a former Finance Minister, said to have once worked with the British and the Americans against Sukarno.Prabowo learnt about terrorism at Fort Bragg and Fort Benning in the US. General Prabowo and terror (http://yayasanhak.minihub.org/mot/Prabowo.htm)
In May 1998, Prabowo was commander of Kostrad, the strategic reserve, the regiment Suharto commanded when he took power in 1965.
Prabowo's friend Muchdi ran Kopassus (special forces) and his friend Sjafrie ran the Jakarta Area Command.
The American Defence Secretary, William Cohen, was in Jakarta in January 1998 and he visited Prabowo.
The CIA chief had also been a recent visitor to Jakarta. The CIA and the Pentagon were close to Prabowo. (http://solidarity.igc.org/atc/emily75.html)
~~~