Indonesia’s presidential frontrunner: a ‘cute grandpa’ with a dark past

Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, an ex-general, has reinvented himself as “chubby and adorable” on TikTok. He’s accused of human rights crimes, including torture and kidnapping students in the 1990s. Prabowo hopes to dance his way into the heart of Indonesians. The World’s Patrick Winn looks at whether this whitewashing of his past will work with young, first-time voters.

The World Listener Survey 2024

We’d love to hear your thoughts on The World. Please take our 5-min. survey.