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)