APEC wives take a tour of Jakarta

APEC wives take a tour of Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): The host committee has organized an elaborate
program for the wives of the ministers attending the APEC
conference. But only four took up the offer of a city tour
yesterday.

They were Lee McLaren, the wife of Canadian trade minister,
Rosalind Burdon (wife of New Zealand's trade minister), Takeko
Kono (wife of Japan's foreign minister) and Edith Quellet (wife
of Canada's foreign minister).

Their first-day itinerary included the National Monument and
the National Museum, two popular tourist attractions, both of
which were closed for their private viewing. The tour finished
with a luncheon at the Grand Hyatt Hotel and a fashion show by
three noted Indonesian designers: Ghea Sukasah, Poppy Dharsono
and Ramli.

"It's very moving. It's a wonderful monument. I'm delighted to
see it," Lee McLaren said during the tour of the monument.

The visitors learned of Indonesia's history from the diorama
located in basement of the Museum of National History.

The group observed the priceless collection of historical,
archeological and artistic items at the National Museum.

Rosalind Burdon said she was very impressed by the Indonesian
textiles on display in the museum. "You have a wonderful
collection. We can see the differences of different designs," she
said, adding that she hopes to buy batik clothes during her stay.

At the lunch in the Grand Hyatt, they were joined by their
hosts Yunisa Alatas (wife of the foreign minister) and Mrs.
Hartarto (wife of the Coordinating Minister for Industry and
Trade).

President Soeharto's daughters Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana and
Siti Hediyati Prabowo also joined the group. (sim)