Soeharto celebrates 82nd birthday

Soeharto celebrates 82nd birthday

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Former president Soeharto celebrated his 82th birthday on Sunday
with his close relatives at his residence in Menteng, Central
Jakarta.

A different style of observance was held by a group of
students, who tried to demonstrate near Soeharto's house on Jl.
Cendana to demand that he be put on trial for corruption. The
rally ended with the arrest of 30 students.

Flowers and wreaths from many of the country's top figures
most of the day.

Bouquets from current House of Representatives speaker Akbar
Tandjung, former president B.J. Habibie, former vice president
Try Sutrisno, former governor of East Timor Abilio Soares and
businessmen like Prayogo Pangestu and Tomy Winata were seen at
the house.

Notably absent was a floral wreath from President Megawati
Soekarnoputri, nor from other current government officials.

A source told The Jakarta Post that Megawati sent a floral
wreath on Sunday to the family of Diponegoro Military Commander
Maj. Gen. Amirul Isnaeni, who died on Sunday morning in
Singapore.

"That's the only flowers that Ibu (Megawati) asked us to send,
but none for pak Harto," the source said.

A modest party, with a traditional rice cone was held later in
the day at the former president's house, attended only by close
relatives.

It was not clear whether his favorite son Hutomo "Tommy"
Mandala Putra, currently serving 15 years in the high security
prison of Nusa Kambangan in Central Java for ordering the murder
of a judge, was able to attend the celebration.

Soeharto visited Tommy in prison last month, the first time
since the businessman was moved to the isolated prison last year.

Others who congratulated the octogenarian on his birthday
included Sutrisno, Soares and his lawyer Juan Felix Tampubolon.

Soeharto stepped down in 1998, following student rallies
across the country to demand for an end to his 32-year
authoritarian rule.

A graft case has been built against him, but he has never
stood trial citing illness. An independent team of doctors
assigned by the Attorney General's Office concluded that the
former president suffered brain damage following several minor
strokes and other diseases.

Students who rallied near Jl. Cendana questioned Megawati's
intention to fight corruption, who they said had let Soeharto off
the hook.

Around 30 students grouped under the City Forum (Forkot) were
arrested and taken to Central Jakarta police station, when they
tried to stage a rally near Soeharto's residence.

Detik.com reported that the protesters carried balloons,
banners and an effigy of a dead man as they neared the former
president's house before they were pushed into a police truck
that hauled them away.