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.