Former Indonesian president, Suharto in critical condition
Saturday, January 5, 2008
- 9 December 2011: Jakarta court jails six for Java bombings
- 28 November 2011: Death toll from Borneo bridge collapse reaches eleven
- 27 November 2011: Borneo bridge collapse: death toll reaches four, many remain missing
- 26 November 2011: Borneo bridge collapse kills at least three as vehicles fall
- 15 July 2011: Indonesian volcano eruption prompts thousands to evacuate
Former Indonesian President Suharto, 86, is in a Jakarta hospital in critical condition. Doctors say he is suffering heart problems. Chad Bouchard reports from Jakarta.
The former president was admitted to a hospital on Friday with swelling throughout his body. Doctors say Mr. Suharto's heart has become too weak to pump blood properly, and his kidneys are deteriorating.
Andi Mallarangeng, spokesman for current president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, says the president visited Mr. Suharto in the hospital Saturday and found him too weak to talk.
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He was conscious, he was not in a coma in that sense, he was conscious, but he was very weak |  |
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—Andi Mallarangeng, spokesman for current Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono |
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"He was conscious, he was not in a coma in that sense, he was conscious, but he was very weak," he said. "The presidential doctors informed the president that President Suharto is in [a] critical situation."
Suharto ruled Indonesia for 32 years, stepping down after widespread demonstrations and rioting during the Asian economic crisis of 1998.
He has since lived quietly in an upscale district of central Jakarta.
The anti-corruption organization Transparency International says Mr. Suharto embezzled more from Indonesia than any other modern leader, an estimated $15 billion to $35 billion. Mr. Suharto has steadfastly denied such accusations.
Sources
- "Suharto's health state 'critical'" — BBC News Online, January 5, 2008
