50 Indonesians join friendship program

A total of 50 Indonesian youths will participate in this year's "The Ship for Southeast Asian Youth" program which aims at promoting and strengthening friendship and mutual understanding among youths from ASEAN member countries and Japan.

The program, which was initiated by the Japanese government in 1974, will give participants the chance to live together on board a ship for nearly one-and-a-half months and visit ASEAN countries and Japan where they are expected to visit educational and cultural institutions.

Indonesian participants attended a bon voyage party held by the Japanese embassy in Jakarta yesterday.

The 50 participants from Indonesia will join the ship and other the participants at the gathering points in Port Kelang, Malaysia on Oct. 6.

From Malaysia the ship will stop in Singapore before sailing to Jakarta. The youths are scheduled to return to Jakarta on Oct. 18 and then sail to Songkhla in Thailand. The ships will then set sail for Brunei, Manila and Tokyo.

In Jakarta the youths are scheduled to pay courtesy calls on high-ranking government officials and engage in a number of good- will activities, such as meeting with Indonesian youths and joining the homestay program. (yns)