Soeharto celebrates birthday with thousands of orphans

Soeharto celebrates birthday with thousands of orphans

JAKARTA (JP): Former president Soeharto celebrated his 80th
birthday with thousands of orphans on Friday, while at the same
time being reminded by state prosecutors that he was still a
suspect in a corruption case.

Soeharto invited 10,000 orphans, a similar number of people
who attended Sukarno's centennial birthday commemoration on
Wednesday, to celebrate his birthday with him at the Indonesia in
Miniature Park in East Jakarta.

Each orphan received a box of foodstuffs, including rice,
sugar and salt, from the former first family.

Police tightly guarded the park's At-Tin Mosque where the
gathering was held. People without invitations were not allowed
to enter the hall.

"We were worried about holding an open gathering because some
people may misunderstand it as a show of force," Antara quoted
Soeharto's second daughter Siti "Titiek" Hediati as saying about
the event.

She insisted that her father was not in a healthy condition,
although he was able to spend one hour at the gathering.

"Physically, bapak is healthy. But in other aspects he is not
fit," Titiek said.

Some of Soeharto's old friends and former ministers, including
former foreign minister Ali Alatas and former minister of
information Gen. (ret) Hartono, were also invited.

Soeharto was cheerful with the children, but wept when an
eight-year old orphan, Indharawati, read a poem entitled Peace.

Separately, state prosecutor Umbu Lage Lozara warned that
Soeharto was still a defendant in a US$570 million corruption
case, despite the court having declared that he was not fit to
stand trial due to his poor health.

According to Umbu, the trial of Soeharto and the arrest of his
youngest son Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, who is a wanted felon,
are among the top priorities of newly appointed Attorney General
Baharuddin Lopa.

"Soeharto is still a suspect. He is now under doctors' care to
oversee everything. When they say it is OK to try him, we will
take him to court," said Umbu, who was a member of the state
prosecutors' team during Soeharto's trial in September.

Soeharto, who ended his 32-year presidency in May 1998, later
held a family party at his Jl. Cendana residence in Central
Jakarta.

"This is only a small party with his children and
grandchildren," said a guard at the residence. (prb)