Soon, it is assumed, the palace behind her will be inhabited by Prabowo Subianto - former son-in-law of Suharto and a special commander under his 32-year brutal and corrupt regime. He is accused of involvement in a series of rights abuses, including enforced disappearances and torture in the Suharto era, which ended in the same year that Sumarsih's son died.
At last week's vigil, held the day after Prabowo declared victory in Indonesia's presidential election, Sumarsih vowed to continue her fight for accountability not only for her son, Wawan, but for all of the victims killed under Suharto.
"When Wawan was shot, my grief transformed into love for others," she said. "What I am fighting for is not only the shooting of Wawan and his friends, but all cases of serious human rights violations."
Sumarsih said she was worried that the prospect of accountability for past abuses would fade further under a Prabowo-led government, and that the country's democracy could weaken. "The possibility of Indonesia returning to an authoritarian, militaristic and corrupt country is very open, very wide open," she said.
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