Abdurrahman ready for economic forum

Abdurrahman ready for economic forum

GENEVA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid arrived here on
Sunday for the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he is
expected to deliver speeches on Monday.

During the annual forum, Abdurrahman will brief attending
businessmen on Indonesia's readiness to anticipate global
changes. To participants of the congress, he will talk about a
strategy to fight the threat of globalization.

Abdurrahman, who arrived after a three-day visit in Saudi
Arabia, will spend the night in Bern before flying to Davos on a
chartered helicopter.

The President is also scheduled to hold a separate meeting
with American businessman George Soros and the director general
of the International Labor Organization, Juan Somavia. Chairman
of the Indonesian Prosperous Trade Union (SBSI) Muchtar Pakpahan
will accompany Abdurrahman during a meeting with Somavia.

In his media briefing before leaving Riyadh, Abdurrahman said
he urged King Fahd to step up Saudi Arabia's assistance to
Muslims around the globe.

Abdurrahman asserted he did not ask the king for loans and
assistance, but instead asked him to encourage more investment in
Indonesia.

Despite the controversy of Indonesian housemaids working in
the Middle East, Abdurrahman told the king that the Indonesian
government would not stop the export of workers to Saudi Arabia.

The two leaders agreed that manpower ministers of the two
countries would work together to ensure the safety and prosperity
of migrant Indonesian workers.

Abdurrahman acknowledged that many female workers faced
mistreatment from their employers. However, he added he should be
realistic that the country was facing a huge unemployment
problem.

"It's not wise to blow up the mistakes of some Arabian
employers. Do not hurt the feelings of the Saudi Arabians,"
Abdurrahman said.

Meanwhile, First Lady Sinta Nuriyah met with about 40
housemaids who left their employers' homes because of domestic
violence. The women displayed their injuries to Sinta and told
how they were tortured and fled without receiving their salary.

Nuriyah, a former women's rights activist, tried to comfort
them and donated US$5000 to the Indonesian Embassy to help them.

"Let's go home and build our country," she told the
housemaids.

One victim was only 12 years old, but according to her
passport she was 20. (prb)