Soeharto celebrates 79th birthday under house arrest

JAKARTA (JP): Former president Soeharto celebrated his 79th birthday on Thursday, receiving a truck load of flowers and bouquets from close friends and former aides.

It is unclear if his successors B.J. Habibie and Abdurrahman Wahid sent any congratulatory notes.

Last year Abdurrahman sent a bouquet.

Security guards at his residence on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta, said birthday flowers had begun pouring in since Wednesday, but they noted most were from old friends and retired officials.

"Look at the white jasmine flowers. The bouquet was sent by Pak Emil Salim this morning," an officer told The Jakarta Post.

Emil, who also celebrated his own birthday on Thursday, chairs the National Economic Council (DEN). He was one of Soeharto's economic architects when Soeharto took power from first president Sukarno in 1967.

One of the most conspicuous bouquets was sent by one of Soeharto's lawyers Ruhut Sitompul and his associates.

"We have received at least one truck load of flowers. But I have not seen any flowers from Habibie or Gus Dur," said a sergeant.

Parrot

A simple gathering was planned at the residence.

Apparently the former first family wanted to enjoy some Vietnamese cooking for the birthday party, ordering food from a famous Vietnamese restaurant in South Jakarta.

Soeharto himself received some of his friends in the living room that afternoon, including Hedijanto, the financial executive of Soeharto's foundations. His private doctor, Hari, also accompanied him.

"All of his six children are now in Jakarta. They want to entertain their father this evening," said one of the guards.

Last month Attorney General Marzuki Darusman put Soeharto under house arrest. Marzuki insisted that he would employ some of his staff to control Soeharto's guests.

All of the guards stationed on Thursday were military personnel, numbering about 20. Their commandant is Lt. Col. Sudirman, who has worked for Soeharto for more than two decades.

The situation around his residence was relaxed. And aside from the guards one could have mistaken the occupants as regular non- descript Indonesians.

At one point a garbage truck stopped in front of the house. The workers took away the garbage.

"When Pak Harto was still in power, the workers took the garbage quietly, but now they work noisily," a gardener complained.

His children did not allow their father to read newspapers or watch television news. Most of the time it was cartoon films or science Discovery Channel programs which were being tuned.

Nevertheless Soeharto's loyal parrot, placed near his dining room, still recognizes his leadership.

It still screeches "Selamat Pagi (good morning) Bapak Presiden" every time Soeharto approaches him. (prb)