Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono facts for kids

Quick facts for kids General (Hn.) (Ret.) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono GCB AC DK DMN DUT GCL
Official portrait, 2009
6th President of Indonesia
In office 20 October 2004 – 20 October 2014
Vice President	Jusuf Kalla (2004–2009) Boediono (2009–2014)
Preceded by	Megawati Sukarnoputri
Succeeded by	Joko Widodo
8th Coordinating Minister for Political, Social, and Security Affairs
In office 10 August 2001 – 12 March 2004
President	Megawati Sukarnoputri
Preceded by	Agum Gumelar
Succeeded by	Hari Sabarno (acting) Widodo Adi Sutjipto
In office 23 August 2000 – 1 June 2001
President	Abdurrahman Wahid
Preceded by	Soerjadi Soedirdja
Succeeded by	Agum Gumelar
11th Minister of Mining and Energy
In office 29 October 1999 – 23 August 2000
President	Abdurrahman Wahid
Preceded by	Kuntoro Mangkusubroto
Succeeded by	Purnomo Yusgiantoro
24th Commander of Kodam II/Sriwijaya
In office 23 August 1996 – 7 August 1997
President	Suharto
Preceded by	Maj. Gen. Karyono
Succeeded by	Maj. Gen. Suadi Atma
4th Chairman of the Democratic Party
In office 30 March 2013 – 15 March 2020
Preceded by	Anas Urbaningrum
Succeeded by	Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono
Personal details
Born	(1949-09-09) 9 September 1949 (age 75) Patjitan, Indonesia
Political party	Demokrat
Height	(2020) (2000)
Spouse	Kristiani Herrawati ​ ​ (m. 1976; died 2019)​
Children	Agus Edhie
Parents	Raden Soekotjo (father) Siti Habibah (mother)
Relatives	Sarwo Edhie Wibowo (father-in-law) Pramono Edhie Wibowo (brother-in-law)
Alma mater	Indonesian Military Academy United States Army Command and General Staff College Webster University (MA) Bogor Agricultural University (PhD)
Occupation	Politician army officer
Signature
Nicknames	SBY Thinking General
Military service
Allegiance	Indonesia
Branch/service	Indonesian Army
Years of service	1973–2000
Rank	General (honorary)
Unit	Infantry (Kostrad)
Commands	Kodam II/Sriwijaya
Battles/wars	Insurgency in East Timor Insurgency in Aceh Garuda Contingent XIV
Awards	Tri Sakti Wiratama Adhi Makayasa
Service no.	25308

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (born 9 September 1949), often called SBY, is an Indonesian politician and a retired army general. He served as the sixth president of Indonesia from 2004 to 2014. He was the second president from the military, after Suharto.

SBY founded the Democratic Party of Indonesia. He was its chairman from 2014 to 2020. He also served as a top minister for political and security affairs from 2000 to 2004.

Yudhoyono won the 2004 presidential election. This was the first time Indonesians directly voted for their president. He beat the president at the time, Megawati Sukarnoputri. He became president on 20 October 2004, with Jusuf Kalla as his vice president.

He ran for re-election in 2009 with Boediono as his running mate. He won by a large number of votes in the first round. He started his second term on 20 October 2009.

As president, Indonesia took part in many world peace efforts. Yudhoyono successfully helped end the Aceh conflict. This was a long fight that lasted from 1976 to 2005. Because of this, he was called "Father of Peace."

In 2014, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono received the Lifetime Achievement Award (Champions of the Earth).

What Does His Name Mean?

The name Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono comes from the Javanese language and has Sanskrit roots.

• Susilo means "good behavior" or "good morals."
• Bambang is a traditional Javanese boy's name, meaning "knight."
• Yudhoyono means "journey of battle" or "war mission."

So, his full name roughly means "well-behaved knight on a war mission."

His Early Life and Schooling

Growing Up and Family

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was born on 9 September 1949. He grew up in Tremas, a village in Pacitan Regency, East Java. His family was not rich. His father, Raden Soekotjo, was Javanese. His mother, Siti Habibah, was also Javanese.

His Education Journey

Yudhoyono wanted to join the army since he was a child. In school, he was a good student. He was good at writing poems, short stories, and acting. He also loved music and sports. He started a volleyball club called Klub Rajawali and a band called Gaya Teruna with his friends.

When he was in fifth grade, Yudhoyono visited the Indonesian Armed Forces Academy (AKABRI). Seeing the soldiers train there made him want to become a soldier. He planned to join after high school in 1968, but he missed the sign-up time.

Young Yudhoyono then studied Mechanical Engineering at the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) in Surabaya. Later, he went to a vocational center in Malang. There, he got ready for the military academy. Yudhoyono officially joined AKABRI in 1970 after passing the test.

Yudhoyono also studied in the United States. He earned a master's degree in Business Management from Webster University in 1991. He later got a PhD in agricultural economics from the Bogor Agricultural University in 2004. This was just two days before he was announced as president. He also received honorary doctorates in law and political science. In 2014, he became a professor at the Defense University of Indonesia.

His Time in the Military

Military Academy Days

Cadet First Sergeant Major Yudhoyono in 1973.

Yudhoyono spent three years at AKABRI. He became the leader of the Cadet Corps Division. He graduated in 1973 as a second lieutenant. He was the best graduate that year and received the special Adhi Makayasa medal from President Suharto.

Serving in the Army

After graduating, Yudhoyono joined the Army Strategic Reserve (Kostrad). He became a platoon commander. He also taught general knowledge and English to soldiers. Because he was good at English, he was sent to the United States for special training in 1975.

In 1976, Yudhoyono returned to Indonesia. He was sent to East Timor. He served there several times. Like many other Indonesian officers, he was accused of committing war crimes. However, he was never officially charged with any specific act.

He held various roles, including operations officer and company commander. He also worked at the Army headquarters. During this time, he went back to the United States for more training. He also trained in Panama for jungle warfare.

In 1983, he became commander of the Infantry Trainers' School. He also traveled to Belgium and West Germany for anti-tank weapon training. In 1985, he took a Battalion Commando Course in Malaysia.

From 1986 to 1988, Yudhoyono served in Bali and the Lesser Sunda Islands. In 1989, he became a lecturer at the Army Staff College. He gave a speech about the military's future. He also wrote a book called "The Challenges of Development."

While teaching, he continued his military education at the US Army Command and General Staff College. He also earned his master's degree from Webster University in 1991.

In 1992, Yudhoyono worked as a speechwriter for the Army chief of staff. In 1993, he joined the personal staff of the military commander. Later, he returned to Kostrad as a brigade commander. A year later, he became an operations assistant in Jakarta. He then commanded a military area in Central Java.

He also served overseas as Indonesia's chief military observer for the United Nation Peacekeeping Force in Bosnia from 1995 to 1996.

When he returned, he became chief of staff for social-political affairs. He also led the military group in the People's Consultative Assembly. He took part in Suharto's re-election as president.

Suharto's Resignation and Military Reform

During the time leading up to Suharto's resignation in May 1998, Yudhoyono met with pro-reform leaders. He agreed that Suharto should step down. However, he and other military officers were careful about publicly asking for Suharto's resignation. Eventually, Suharto resigned on 21 May 1998.

After Suharto, the military's popularity was low. Yudhoyono helped reform the military. He combined ideas for reform with the military's need for security. Because of his education and smart moves, Yudhoyono became known as "the thinking general."

His Political Career

Serving Under President Wahid

Yudhoyono as minister of mining and energy in 1999.

In 1999, Yudhoyono became the minister of mining and energy under President Abdurrahman Wahid. He ended his military career as a lieutenant general. He was later made an honorary general in 2000.

Yudhoyono became popular as a minister. In August 2000, he became the coordinating minister for political and security affairs. One of his main jobs was to separate the army from politics. This was part of his plan to reform the Indonesian military.

He also tried to help President Wahid get back money that Suharto had supposedly gained unfairly. However, Yudhoyono was not successful in this.

In 2001, President Wahid faced increasing political pressure. He asked Yudhoyono to declare a state of emergency to strengthen his position. Yudhoyono refused, and Wahid dismissed him.

Serving Under President Megawati

Yudhoyono as coordinating minister of political, social, and security affairs in 1999.

On 23 July 2001, President Wahid was removed from office. Megawati Sukarnoputri became president. Yudhoyono was appointed to his old job as coordinating minister of political and security affairs in Megawati's new government.

After the 2002 Bali bombings in October 2002, he led the efforts to find and arrest those responsible. He became known for being serious about fighting terrorism. His speech on the one-year anniversary of the Bali bombings was praised.

Yudhoyono also worked on the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). This was a group that wanted Aceh Province to be separate from Indonesia. Based on his advice, Megawati declared martial law in Aceh in May 2003.

Forming the Democratic Party

Democratic Party

Yudhoyono's supporters saw his popularity and believed he could be a future leader for Indonesia. One supporter, Vence Rumangkang, suggested forming a political party to help Yudhoyono in the 2004 presidential elections. Yudhoyono agreed.

From 12 to 19 August 2001, meetings were held to plan the party. Yudhoyono led meetings on 19 and 20 August 2001. The plan for the Democratic Party was completed.

The party was officially announced on 9 September 2001, which was Yudhoyono's birthday. It was registered on 10 September. The party was created to be Yudhoyono's personal political party. It originally had 99 members.

The Path to Becoming President

Yudhoyono at the United Nations.

In September 2003, Yudhoyono's party started preparing for him to be a presidential candidate. They began a campaign to promote him. At first, Yudhoyono did not respond much and continued his work as a minister.

The big change happened on 1 March 2004. Yudhoyono's secretary announced that Yudhoyono had been left out of important policy decisions. On 2 March 2004, Megawati said this was not true. Her husband called Yudhoyono childish for complaining to the media.

On 8 March 2004, Yudhoyono asked to meet the president about his duties. Megawati did not reply. On 11 March 2004, Yudhoyono held a press conference. He announced he was resigning as minister and was ready to run for president.

Yudhoyono's popularity grew quickly after this. People saw him as the underdog. However, his party did not win many votes in the 2004 legislative elections. They won 7.5% of the votes, which was still enough to nominate him for president.

Yudhoyono accepted the nomination and chose Jusuf Kalla as his running mate. Their campaign focused on four main ideas: prosperity, peace, justice, and democracy. He wanted to increase economic growth and fight corruption.

The quick rise in Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's (center) popularity helped the Democratic Party get 7.45% of votes in the April 2004 election.

Yudhoyono was seen as the favorite to win. On 5 July 2004, he came first in the first round of the presidential election with 33% of the votes. But he needed 50% to win, so he went into a second round against Megawati.

In the second round, Yudhoyono won with 60.87% of the vote. He was sworn in as president on 20 October 2004. In 2010, he was recognized for his excellent political communication skills.

His Presidency (2004–2014)

Yudhoyono's official presidential portrait during his first term, taken in 2004.

His Cabinet

Presidential elections were held in Indonesia on 8 July 2009. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won over 60% of the vote in the first round. This meant he did not need a second round to be re-elected. He was officially declared the winner on 23 July 2009.

On the day of his inauguration in 2004, Yudhoyono announced his new cabinet, called the United Indonesia Cabinet. It had 36 ministers from different political parties and professionals. Five former military members were also included. As he promised, four women were appointed to the cabinet. His Second United Indonesia Cabinet was announced in October 2009. Boediono became his vice president, replacing Jusuf Kalla.

Working with Vice President Kalla

Even though he won the presidency, Yudhoyono's party was not very strong in the Indonesian parliament. His party and its allies had fewer members than the opposition parties.

Yudhoyono and Kalla worked together to gain more influence in parliament. Kalla was elected as the new chairman of Golkar, a major political party. This made Kalla very powerful in parliament.

After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Kalla quickly started work to rebuild Aceh. Some people questioned if he had the legal right to do this on his own. But Yudhoyono said he had given Kalla the orders.

In September 2005, Yudhoyono went to New York for a UN summit. He left Vice President Kalla in charge. Yudhoyono held video calls to get updates from ministers. Some thought this showed Yudhoyono did not fully trust Kalla.

To ease political tensions, Yudhoyono sent Kalla to meet with former presidents, including Abdurahman Wahid and Megawati Soekarnoputri. These meetings helped improve communication between leaders.

Foreign Relations

Yudhoyono and his wife Ani Yudhoyono with US President George W. Bush and his wife Laura Bush in November 2006.

Yudhoyono meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin to sign a defense deal in Jakarta, September 2007.

President Yudhoyono wanted to improve Indonesia's defense. He worked to end the US military embargo against Indonesia. In 2005, the US government allowed Indonesia to receive military training and equipment again. This helped Indonesia buy spare parts for its F-16 fighter jets.

Yudhoyono also talked with Russian President Vladimir Putin about defense cooperation. Indonesia considered buying weapons from other countries like European Union nations, South Korea, India, and China.

Economy Under His Leadership

During his time as president, Indonesia's economy grew stronger. The country's wealth (GDP) and foreign money reserves increased a lot. The amount of debt compared to the country's income went down from 56% to 23%. This was much lower than many developed countries.

From 2004 to 2014, Indonesia's income per person grew from US$1188 to US$3490. Indonesia also had the second-highest economic growth rate after China since 2009. The country's exports tripled.

Yudhoyono also decided to end the Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI). This group was a collection of countries and organizations that gave loans to Indonesia. Yudhoyono wanted Indonesia to be more independent and less reliant on these loans. He believed Indonesia could handle its own finances better.

Social Programs

The Yudhoyono government passed a law in 2011 about social security. This law aimed to improve people's well-being through health and employment insurance. It led to the creation of a Social Security System. This system combined two state-owned companies that provided health and worker insurance.

In July 2005, Yudhoyono started the Schools Operational Assistance (BOS) program. This program gave money to schools to help them run. The goal was for schools to lower or even remove fees for students. In June 2006, he launched Books BOS, which provided funds for textbooks.

Other Important Activities

Yudhoyono in the Polish Senate in 2013.

Yudhoyono with Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in 2013.

In 2007, Yudhoyono suggested that eight nations with large tropical rainforests work together. This was due to growing concerns about global warming. Indonesia hosted a summit of these countries in New York. Later, Indonesia hosted a major climate change conference in Bali.

During a controversy involving Pope Benedict XVI and Islam, Yudhoyono said the Pope's comments were "unwise." But he also asked Indonesian Muslims to be patient and calm.

TIME Magazine named Yudhoyono one of the 100 World's Most Influential People in 2009.

In March 2010, he visited Australia. He was given an honorary award and spoke to the Australian Parliament. He was the first Indonesian head of state to do so. In October 2012, Queen Elizabeth II gave him an honorary title.

Political Party Role

During his presidency, Yudhoyono became more powerful within the Democratic Party. In May 2005, he was elected chairman of the executive board. This gave him the highest authority in the party.

2014 Election and Beyond

Yudhoyono stands next to his successor, Joko Widodo during the latter's inauguration, October 2014.

The Constitution of Indonesia limits presidents to two terms. This meant Yudhoyono could not run for a third term in the 2014 general election.

After His Presidency

Yudhoyono standing next to his successor, Joko Widodo, during the latter's inauguration, October 2014.

After his presidency ended in 2014, Yudhoyono remained active in politics. He was re-elected as the leader of his party in 2015. In the 2019 presidential election, he supported Prabowo Subianto.

His son, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, replaced him as the leader of the Democratic Party on 15 March 2020.

From 2014 to 2016, SBY was the President of the Assembly and Chair of the Council of the Global Green Growth Institute.

He lived with his wife Ani until she passed away in June 2019. In November 2021, it was announced that Yudhoyono was diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer.

In the 2024 presidential election, he first supported Anies Baswedan. But he later withdrew his support. He then chose to back Prabowo, saying he was ready to join his campaign. Prabowo said Yudhoyono's support gave him a great boost.

His Personal Life

Yudhoyono family in 2003. From left to right: Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Ani Yudhoyono, and Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono.

During his presidency, Yudhoyono lived in the presidential Merdeka Palace in Jakarta and at his family home in Cikeas, Bogor. His wife, Ani Yudhoyono, had a political science degree. She was also a leader in his Democratic Party. She was the oldest child of a well-known army general, Sarwo Edhie Wibowo.

Their oldest son, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (born 1978), graduated from the Indonesian Military Academy. Like his father, he was the best graduate and received the Adhi Makayasa Medal. He earned a master's degree in strategic studies in Singapore. He also studied at Harvard University. He is married to Annisa Pohan, a model. They have a daughter, Almira Tunggadewi Yudhoyono, born in 2008. Agus has held government positions, including Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning.

Their younger son, Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono (born 1980), studied economics in Australia. He also earned a master's degree in Singapore. He is married to Siti Ruby Aliya Rajasa. They have two sons and two daughters. Edhie is currently a member of the People's Representative Council.

Family Tree

Hobbies and Health

Yudhoyono loves volleyball and has played it since he was a child. He even played during his presidency. His love for the sport led him to form a volleyball team, Bogor LavAni, in honor of his late wife, Ani Yudhoyono.

In 2018, Yudhoyono had a kidney infection. In November 2021, he was diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer. He received treatment in the United States, with help from President Joko Widodo's doctor team.

Arts and Music

In 2023, Yudhoyono opened the SBY-Ani Museum and Gallery in Pacitan. This museum shows his life story. The art gallery displays artworks and songs by him and his wife.

His Paintings

Yudhoyono enjoyed painting since he was a teenager. He stopped when he joined the military. After his wife passed away, he started painting again. He even created his own painting studio, SBY Art Studio. One of his famous paintings is No Justice No Peace (2023).

His Music

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is also a musician. In his younger days, he was in a band called Gaya Teruna. As an adult, he returned to music and wrote or co-wrote three pop albums:

• In 2007, he released My Longing for You, an album of love songs and religious songs.
• In 2009, he released Evolusi with Yockie Suryoprayogo.
• In 2010, he released his third album, I'm Certain I'll Make It.
• In 2011, he produced a song for singer Afgan Syahreza.

Awards and Honors

Awards from Indonesia

Yudhoyono's official state portrait with his presidential decorations.

Awards from Other Countries

Ribbon	Distinction	Country	Date	Reference
	Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)	Australia	9 March 2010
	The Most Esteemed Family Order of Brunei (DK)	Brunei	27 February 2006
	Grand-collar of the Order of Timor-Leste	East Timor	19 May 2012
	Order of the Crown of the Realm (DMN)	Malaysia	11 January 2008
	Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu (GCL)	Papua New Guinea	11 March 2010
	Grand Collar (Raja) of the Order of Sikatuna	Philippines	23 March 2014
	Collar of the Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud	Saudi Arabia	26 April 2006
	Darjah Utama Temasek (First Class) (DUT)	Singapore	3 September 2014
	Grand Order of Mugunghwa	South Korea	19 November 2014
	Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB)	United Kingdom	30 October 2012

Images for kids

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  Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

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  Ani Yudhoyono

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  Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono

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  Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono

See also

In Spanish: Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono para niños