YUDHOYONO LEADS STATE FUNERAL FOR SOEHARTO
The Jakarta Post - January 28, 2008
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Mme Yudhoyono paid condolence visit to the family of the former Indonesian President, Suharto, who died on Sunday (27/01) (foto: abror/presidensby.info)
JAKARTA (JP): President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono led a state funeral procession for former president Soeharto at the Astana Giribangun family cemetery in Karanganyar, Central Java.
Soeharto's body was flown from Halim Perdanakusumah Air Force Base in East Jakarta to Adisumarmo Air Force Base in Surakarta, Central Java before being carried in a motorcade to thecemetery.
The procession started with Presidential Military Secretary Maj. Gen. Bambang Sutedjo reading Soeharto's biography, including that the five-star general received 27 decorations both from Indonesian and other countries as well as international organizations.
Yudhoyono then presented Soeharto with all his contributions to Ibu Pertiwi (the Motherland).
Soeharto was buried inside a coffin next to his wife, Tien Soeharto, who died in 1996.
In his speech after the procession, Yudhoyono said Indonesia had lost one of its finest statesmen and true soldiers.
"The deceased has dedicated all of his life to the development of Indonesia," he said. (**)
Source: The Jakarta Post - www.thejakartapost.com