Soeharto arrives for APEC summit

Soeharto arrives for APEC summit

VANCOUVER, Canada (JP): President Soeharto arrived here on a
cold, wet evening Sunday, among the last of the 18 leaders to
arrive for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

Soeharto and his entourage, which included Minister of Foreign
Ali Alatas and Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, touched down
at 11 p.m. local time. They were met by Vancouver Mayor Philip
Owen and Fisheries Minister David Anderson.

Also present was Coordinating Minister for Production and
Distribution Hartarto who arrived several days earlier to attend
the APEC ministerial meeting.

The President was immediately whisked to Hotel Vancouver
located in the heart of the downtown area where he will spend the
next two nights.

Soeharto was met there by Indonesia's Consul General to
Vancouver Jacky Wahyu. There was little ceremony at the hotel,
allowing the President to rest after his six-hour flight from
Cancun, Mexico.

Soeharto is on the last leg of his tour which has taken the
76-year-old President to Namibia and South Africa.

There was no sign of demonstrators near Soeharto's hotel,
which is also accommodating Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai.

Earlier Sunday morning 5,000 people took to the streets to
express a multitude of concerns which included East Timor's
integration into Indonesia and alleged human rights abuses.

Activists here have promised to hold another large
demonstration against APEC leaders today.

Soeharto's agenda over the next two days is full.

Monday (today Indonesian time) he will hold bilateral talks
with Australian Prime Minister John Howard, New Zealand Prime
Minister Jim Bolger, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien and
United States President Bill Clinton.

Soeharto is also due to have lunch with other leaders of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), before attending
the official APEC proceedings.

On Tuesday (tomorrow Indonesian time) Soeharto and the other
leaders will attend the APEC retreat at the Museum of
Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. (prb/mds)