Bintoro, the technocrat behind the Bogor communique

JAKARTA (JP): The declaration by APEC's 18 leaders that will be read at the end of their meeting in Bogor today is in part the result of the hard work of Professor Bintoro Tjokroamidjojo, President Soeharto's special assistant on APEC affairs.

Bintoro certainly has all the qualifications required for the task of liaising with the other 17 APEC leaders, or their representatives, in drafting, and even negotiating, the format and wording of the declaration.

He had a stint as a diplomat when he served as ambassador to the Netherlands in 1990 and 1993. But he is also an economist, an administrator and planner, and for good measure, has also spent a brief period as a politician. He also writes columns and books, besides giving lectures at universities.

With this rich background, he has been President Soeharto's trusted man in preparations for the substance of the Bogor meeting, by traveling to meet with the other APEC leaders on his behalf, and by compiling reports on their views and then helping draft the text of the declaration.

Bintoro was born on June 6, 1931, in the Central Java city of Purworejo.

He is essentially an economist by training, graduating from the School of Economics of the University of Indonesia in 1959. The following year, he graduated, magna cum laude, from the School for Public and International Affairs, the University of Pittsburgh.

He built his public career as a member of the various teams of government economic planners, beginning first in the National Planning Bureau at the time of president Sukarno, and then becoming part of the National Development Planning Agency under President Soeharto. He was its deputy chairman between 1973 and 1983.

His relationship with Soeharto dates way back to 1966-1967 when he served as a member of an economic experts team. Soeharto was still acting president at the time.

Between 1983 and 1990, Bintoro was chairman of the National Administration Institute. He was then appointed as Indonesian ambassador to the Netherlands.

Upon his return, he was recruited as a member of the president's team of advisors on the implementation of the state ideology Pancasila.

Beginning this year, as Soeharto assumed the APEC chairmanship, he became the president's most trusted man on the issue.

Bintoro is married to Latifah Hanoum Harahap and has two grown sons and two grown daughters. He also has two grandchildren. (emb)