Children told to write to Acehnese

Children told to write to Acehnese

JAKARTA: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono kicked off a
national pen-pal movement for children in tsunami-ravaged Aceh
and Nias on Thursday, urging children across the country to write
to children there in order to help ease their suffering.

Susilo said the movement would develop friendship and
brotherhood among children in Indonesia, which in turn would
"strengthen national unity".

After his speech, Susilo sang an old pop song by Rinto Harahap
titled Ayah (Father). The song, he said, was dedicated to natural
disaster victims, especially children, across the country.

More than 200 children from Jakarta attended the ceremony,
as well as two Acehnese children. Seto Mulyadi, who chairs the
National Commission for Child Protection, which initiated the
movement, said Jakarta had been chosen as the pilot area for the
program. -- JP