Abdurrahman meets Aboriginal leaders

Abdurrahman meets Aboriginal leaders

DARWIN, Australia (AFP): President Abdurrahman Wahid was welcomed Thursday in Australia's far north by Indonesian-speaking Aborigines.

The president, who returned to Australia after a brief visit to New Zealand before his scheduled departure for the Philippines, was welcomed to Darwin in Bahasa Indonesia by Tiwi tribal elder Justin Puruntameri, 73.

Puruntameri also invited the embattled Indonesian leader to visit the Tiwi tribe's traditional homelands in islands off Australia's northern coast.

"He was happy to speak his language," Puruntameri later told reporters after meeting Abdurrahman at a Darwin hotel. "I learnt it a long, long time ago."

A meeting was arranged between Abdurrahman and 10 members of the Tiwi and other Aboriginal representatives after the president indicated on Monday that he hoped to meet with tribal chiefs.

Abdurrahman also addressed a business forum on the last leg of a visit in which he became the first Indonesian president to visit Australia in 26 years.

"I'm very happy that he actually went out of his way to speak with Aboriginal people," said Mary Yarmirr, deputy chairwoman of the Northern Aboriginal Land Council.

Abdurrahman, who faces impeachment proceedings on Aug. 1, departs for the Philippines on Friday.

The president had hoped to meet his political rival and speaker of Indonesia's top legislature, Amien Rais, while in Darwin to negotiate a solution to his country's political impasse.

But Amien's office rejected the offer of a meeting.

Before leaving for New Zealand, Wahid said Wednesday that he was prepared to declare a state of emergency and call in the military to save his presidency.

In Manila, a presidential spokesman said Thursday that Abdurrahman will have a flexible agenda during his short visit here for a meeting with President Gloria Arroyo.

Abdurrahman is to arrive at the presidential palace before noon Friday for cocktails and lunch with Arroyo and her husband, presidential spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao told reporters.

While it is described as a "working visit" by the Indonesian leader, Tiglao said Wahid "has no rigid agenda."

General discussions "on how relationships between the Philippines and Indonesia will be improved," are expected to take place during lunch, Tiglao said.

"No agreement is expected to be signed. It's just a bilateral airing of views on how the relationship of the two countries will be improved."

Arroyo would then accompany Abdurrahman to Manila's international airport at 2:00 p.m. local time for an official sendoff, Tiglao said.

Tiglao had earlier said Abdurrahman may also discuss peace talks between Manila and the main Philippine Muslim separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which the Jakarta government helped broker.