First ladies get a glimpse of Indonesia in half a day

JAKARTA (JP): Six first ladies got a glimpse of Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands, in a matter of half a day.

The ladies, who are accompanying their husbands to the APEC meeting, visited the Beautiful Indonesia in Miniature Park yesterday. The tourist site, popularly known by locals as Taman Mini, provides visitors with a display of the diversity of Indonesia.

The tour to Taman Mini was one of the programs carefully designed by Indonesia's First Lady Mrs. Tien Soeharto to keep the spouses of the delegates to today's APEC leaders meeting entertained while their husbands discuss trade matters.

The six first ladies visiting Taman Mini were Hillary Rodham Clinton of the United States, Annita Keating of Australia, Aline Chretien of Canada, Marta Larraechea de Frei of Chile, Mrs. Kim Young-sam of South Korea and Siti Hasmah of Malaysia.

Mrs. Susan Siew, wife of the Chinese Taipei representative to the APEC meeting, and Yuri Nakahara, the 37-year old daughter of Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama also took up the offer of the tour. Murayama's wife is not with her husband on this visit to Indonesia because of her age.

The first ladies started their tour to Taman Mini by visiting the recently opened Purna Bhakti Pertiwi Museum, which houses an array of gifts presented by foreign dignitaries and Indonesian citizens alike.

Hillary Clinton in a yellow suit, Annita Keating in a white suit and Yuri Nakahara in a bright pink suit, together with the other first ladies, then entered the Sasono Utomo Hall where they were greeted by Indonesian Minister for Women's Roles Mien Sugandhi and Minister of Social Services Intan Suweno, and the spouses of other ministers and senior officials.

A West Javanese dance, Sisingaan (Lions), greeted them with lively and cheerful music and movements. Young women in the traditional costumes of Indonesia's 27 provinces welcomed them with fingertips pressed together at chest level in a customary greeting.

In the richly carved wooden-pillared hall, the visitors signed a plaque to commemorate of their tour of the park.

During their half-hour stay in the Sasono Langen Budoyo, the interior Hall of Sasana Utomo, the ladies were entertained with a film featuring Indonesian women's roles in national development as they work side by side harmoniously with men. A haute couture batik fashion show presented by Indonesia's leading designer, Iwan Tirta, was also on the agenda.

The visitors also toured an exhibition of Indonesia's main export products, something which their husbands might also be interested in viewing in relation to APEC's objective of enhancing trade between members.

After a short tour of Taman Mini, the ladies watched a film at the Keong Mas, an Imax Theater located within the park's compound.

Star

Hillary Clinton was obviously the star of the trip yesterday.

Journalists covering the tour repeatedly tried to obtain her impression of the visit to satisfy their editors.

There had no such luck. Hillary simply responded to questions with bright smiles and hand waving.

Tea gathering

Later, at the residence of the American embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission Barbara Harvey in the Menteng area, Central Jakarta, the American First Lady met with 28 Indonesian women who are prominent figures in society.

Those invited came from different professions and backgrounds.

Among them were Nona Poeroe Utomo, who is executive director of the Indonesian AIDS Foundation, senior journalists Yuli Ismartono and Widarti Gunawan, sociologist Mely G. Tan, political scientist Dewi Fortuna Anwar, parliament member Marwah Daud and artist Dolorosa Sinaga.

"I am glad to meet Indonesian women and have a chance to speak about issues concerning women. It is important for us to talk about these issues especially because next year an international conference on women will take place," said Mrs. Clinton, who appeared cheerful despite looking tired due to her tight schedule.

She added that in the last two years, she has traveled and learned a lot about women's lives. "So, with all of this we will know what we will talk about in the conference," she said. (als)