It was likely a bitter 51st birthday celebration for Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama. The former Jakarta governor had to spend the day at the Mobile Brigade Command (Mako Brimob) detention center in Depok, West Java, on Thursday. The Christian politician of Chinese descent has been locked up there since May 9, after the North Jakarta District Court sentenced him to two years in prison for blasphemy.

In his reelection bid, Ahok suffered defeat to Anies Baswedan in the gubernatorial runoff election on April 19. Less than one month later, his enemies joyfully celebrated his sentencing for blasphemy.

Some of his most fierce opponents, such as Islam Defenders Front leader Rizieq Shihab, however, have been implicated in other cases and may soon join him in prison. Even Ahok’s opponents would find it hard to deny the major achievements he made in developing Jakarta. The progress made by Ahok was once praised by more than 70 percent of Jakartans before his downfall.

His wife Veronica, three children and mother visited him in his cell.  “Our mother, his wife and his three children visited him at Mako Brimob to celebrate his birthday this afternoon. They took food for him,” Fifi Lety Indra, Ahok’s younger sister, said.

Fifi, who is currently in Los Angeles, the United States, said the family did not buy Ahok a gift as he preferred not to celebrate his birthday.

In previous years, Fifi said, Ahok’s family arranged surprise parties for Ahok on his birthday.

Ahok and his family were not alone in marking his birthday. His die-hard supporters held separate gatherings on the day.  For them, Ahok will always be a hero, and they strongly believe that the verdict against him was politically motivated.

Dozens of people gathered in front of the Brimob detention center in the morning. They carried cakes and other gifts for Ahok, such as books and paintings. However, they were prohibited from meeting with Ahok because the facility allows visitors only on Tuesdays and Fridays.

His supporters entrusted their gifts to Brimob officers, who promised to give them to Ahok.

In the afternoon, hundreds of Ahok’s supporters gathered at Kalijodo Park in North Jakarta to mark his birthday by organizing a birthday cake competition. Kalijodo was the country’s largest prostitution center before Ahok demolished it and turned into a recreation center.

The cakes entered in the competition were unique and designed to look like Ahok’s signature projects, such as the Semanggi interchange and a green, open space, as throughout his administration, Ahok opened hundreds of integrated child-friendly public spaces (RPTRAs) in Jakarta. A book written by several prominent figures was also launched.

Rebecca Siregar, the chairwoman of the Silent Majority Forum, an organization that initiated the event, said the celebration was aimed at lending support to Ahok.

“We hope that Ahok will be tough enough to serve his time. He has fought for his country and made sacrifices for the country’s unity,” she said.

In the evening, the supporters held a candlelight vigil to pray that Ahok and his family would remain strong as well as for unity in diversity. They expressed hope that after his release, Ahok would continue to serve his country.

One Ahok supporter, Depok resident Tiara, 44, said she attended the event to show Ahok and his family that they were not alone in their predicament.

In the evening, in a hand written memo, Ahok thanked his supporters for their prayers and presents.

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