Try Sutrisno — Indonesian military leader and sixth vice president

Career highlights

• Longstanding military service culminating in senior command roles and national defence responsibilities
• Commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces (the apex military position) prior to his vice-presidential appointment
• Sixth Vice President of Indonesia, serving during President Suharto’s final full term (1993–1998)

Try Sutrisno’s public profile rests on his dual identity as a soldier and a statesman. As a senior officer he was associated with the armed forces’ institutional role in politics during the New Order period. His vice-presidential term coincided with mounting social and economic pressures that culminated in major political changes shortly after he left office.

Role and significance

In office, Try was regarded as a representative of the military establishment within the executive branch. He participated in policymaking on security and stability, and his tenure is often discussed in histories of late-20th-century Indonesia because it overlapped with the events and trends that led to the end of Suharto’s long presidency.

After leaving the vice presidency he remained a recognizable public figure, occasionally appearing in public debates and commentary on national affairs. For further concise background and official references, see additional resources.