Suharto dies at 86

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Former dictator Suharto, an army general who crushed Indonesia's communist movement and pushed aside the country's founding father to usher in 32 years of tough rule that saw up to a million political opponents killed, died Sunday. He was 86.

The health of former Indonesian dictator Suharto took a sharp downturn Sunday, and his doctors said he was unconscious, breathing through a ventilator, and in "very critical" condition.

Dozens of doctors on his medical team were rushed to the Pertamina Hospital in the capital after his blood pressure fell suddenly Saturday night.

Suharto, 86, was admitted to a hospital on Jan. 4 and has been in intensive care with lung, heart and kidney failure. Over the past week his physicians had spoken of a recovery, but that had changed dramatically by Sunday.

Suharto led a regime widely regarded as one of the 20th century's most brutal and corrupt for 32 years until he was toppled in May 1998 amid massive pro-democracy street protests. Since then, he has lived a reclusive life in a comfortable villa in downtown Jakarta.

Historians say up to 800,000 alleged communist sympathizers were killed during his rise to power from 1965 to 1968 and his troops killed another 300,000 in military operations against independence movements in Papua, Aceh and East Timor. No one has been punished over the killings.

Corruption watchdog Transparency International has said Suharto and his family amassed billions of dollars in stolen state funds, allegations they are fighting in court.