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)