Try Sutrisno (; 15 November 1935 – 2 March 2026) was an Indonesian politician and army general who served as the sixth vice president of Indonesia from 1993 to 1998. Born in Surabaya, Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), Try graduated from the Army Technical Academy in 1959. During his career, Try held the positions of Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army (1986–1988) and Commander of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Indonesia (1988–1993).

Early life and education

Try Sutrisno was born on 15 November 1935 in Surabaya, Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). His father, Subandi, was an ambulance driver, and his mother, Mardiyah, was a housewife. Following the proclamation of Indonesian Independence in 1945, the Indonesian National Revolution began. Try and his family moved from Surabaya to Mojokerto. His father then worked as a medical officer for the Poncowati Army Battalion, forcing Try to stop his schooling and make a living as a cigarette and newspaper seller. At age 13, Try wanted to join the Poncowati Battalion and fight, but no one took him seriously, and he ended up being employed as a courier. Try's duty was to find information on areas occupied by the Dutch Army as well as retrieving medicine for the Indonesian Army. Finally in 1949, the Dutch retreated and recognized Indonesia's independence. Try and his family then returned to Surabaya, where he completed his education in 1956.

After graduating from high school, Try joined the Army Technical Academy (Atekad), now Akmil, in 1956.

KODAM V/Jaya and Tanjung Priok Incident

In 1982, Try was appointed to the Regional Commander of KODAM V/Jaya and was stationed in Jakarta.

1984 would see the government pass a law which required all organizations, whether it be political or non-political, to adopt the national ideology of Pancasila as the sole guiding principle (Azas Tunggal). It would also see Islamic dissent reach its peak as preachers began teaching against the adoption of Pancasila as the national ideology, what they perceived to be the government's Christianization, the government's family planning program, and the dominance of the Indonesian economy by the Chinese Indonesian population.

On 7 September 1984, Sgt. Hermanu, on an inspection run in North Jakarta, came across a mosque with leaflets which asked for women to wear the hijab. This was a leaflet which encouraged Muslims who read it to defy the government's policy of discouraging women from wearing the hijab. Sergeant Hermanu asked for the leaflets to be taken down but his orders were not followed.

The next day, Hermanu returned and stuck papers washed in dirty water over the leaflets to cover it up. Somehow a rumor began going around that Hermanu had defiled the Mosque by going into the prayer hall without taking his shoes off. Try was then invited to speak before the People's Representative Council (DPR) to explain himself. Try gave a defense of his decision and maintained that the protesters were provoking the soldiers and that claims that the protests were peaceful was "bullshit".

Try was discharged from his position as ABRI Commander in February 1993.

Vice presidency (1993–1998)

thumb|left|upright=1.1|Try Sutrisno being sworn in as vice president, 11 March 1993

In February 1993, the same month that Try was discharged from his position and a month before the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) was due to meet to elect a new president and Vice President, MPR members from ABRI nominated Try to be the vice president. Technically speaking, MPR faction members were allowed to nominate their candidates for vice president. But the unwritten rule in Suharto's regime had been to wait for the President to nominate his chosen candidate.

Members from the United Development Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party quickly approved of Try's nomination as Golkar struggled in telling its members that Golkar had not nominated Try as vice president. Suharto was reportedly angry that he had been pre-empted by the armed forces but did not want an open dispute with its delegation in the assembly. Suharto finally accepted Try and Golkar tried to play down the pre-emption by saying it had let the other parties and ABRI nominate their vice presidential candidates.

ABRI had gotten their revenge from the 1988 MPR General Session when Suharto chose Sudharmono, someone who the ABRI did not like as the Vice President. Defense Minister Benny Moerdani was determined that ABRI would choose a vice president for Suharto in the 1993 MPR General Session.

It was speculated that had he not been pre-empted, Suharto would have either elected B. J. Habibie as his vice president or re-elected Sudharmono.

Although he had accepted Try as vice president, Suharto's displeasure at having a vice president he did not ask for shone through as ABRI members within the Cabinet were kept to a bare minimum. For Try himself, Suharto showed little regard and did not even consult him in the cabinet formation process.

Another show of disregard came in late 1997 when Suharto had to go to Germany to receive health treatment. Instead of leaving Try to execute Presidential duties, Suharto ordered State Secretary Moerdiono to come to his residence to receive Presidential duties.

Post-vice presidency (1998–2026)

In May 1998, on the eve of Suharto's fall, Try, together with Umar Wirahadikusumah and Sudharmono visited Suharto at his residence to discuss possible options.

In 1998, Try was elected to become the Chairman of the ABRI Veterans' Union (Pepabri). He successfully kept Pepabri united as one under his Chairmanship despite the prevalent mood at the time that each branch of the Armed Forces gets their own veterans' union. Try completed his term in this position in 2003.

Try also served as Party Elder for General Edi Sudrajat's Justice and Unity Party.

In August 2005, Try, together with Abdurrahman Wahid, Megawati Sukarnoputri, Wiranto, and Akbar Tanjung formed a forum called the National Awakening to Unity Movement (Gerakan Nusantara Bangkit Bersatu). This forum criticized Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Government for its memorandum of understanding with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). This was followed in September 2005 with a criticism of Yudhoyono's decision to raise fuel prices.

Try somewhat softened his stance with the Government after a meeting with Vice President Jusuf Kalla in September 2005. Kalla was sent to explain the reasoning behind the policies taken towards GAM and raising fuel prices. At the end of the meeting, Try said that he can understand the Government's position and encouraged the people to back the Government in their decisions.

Personal life and death

Try was married to Tuti Sutiawati, with whom he had seven children: four sons and three daughters.

Try died at the Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital in Central Jakarta, on 2 March 2026, at the age of 90. He had been treated at RSPAD since 16 February. He was buried at the Kalibata Heroes' Cemetery on the same day.

Honours

National honours

  • 70px Star of the Republic of Indonesia, 2nd Class () (17 March 1993)
  • 70px Star of Mahaputera, 1st Class () (17 March 1993)
  • 70px Star of Meritorious Service ()
  • 70px Grand Meritorious Military Order Star, 1 Class ()
  • 70px Army Meritorious Service Star, 1 Class ()
  • 70px Navy Meritorious Service Star, 1 Class ()
  • 70px Air Force Meritorious Service Star, 1 Class ()
  • 70px Star of Bhayangkara, 1st Class ()

Foreign honours

  • 70px Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash of the :en:Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (1996)
  • :
  • 70x70px First Class of the Order of Paduka Keberanian Laila Terbilang (DPKT) – Dato Paduka Seri
  • :
  • 70px Commander of the National Order of the Legion of Honour
  • :
  • 70px Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
  • :
  • 70px Honorary Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm – Tan Sri (PMN) (1988)
  • 70px Courageous Commander of the Most Gallant Order of Military Service (PGAT) (1988)
  • 70px Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Johor – Dato' Sri Paduka (SPMJ)
  • 70px Decoration of Merit in gold
  • 70px Nishan-e-Imtiaz
  • 70px Commander of the Philippine Legion of Honor
  • 70px Recipient of the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera) (DUBC) (1991)
  • 70px Tongil Medal of the Order of National Security Merit, 1st Class
  • 70px Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant (KCE) (1991)
  • 70px Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand (GCCT) (1986)
  • 70px Commander of the Legion of Merit

Notes

  • Profile at TokohIndonesia.com (In Indonesian)
  • Info on Tanjung Priok Incident