USA to participate in national march

WASHINGTON (JP): A group of 27 young Americans will depart for Jakarta from Los Angeles today (Monday) to take part in the National Youth March, known in Indonesia as the Kirab Remaja Nasional.

The American participants were chosen mainly from among Congressional Award recipients. The awards are given to young people in recognition of achievements in various fields.

The 27 youths, 13 males and 14 females, aged between 16 and 23, come from various parts of the United States.

They will be accompanied by three officials selected from the American Field Service, an organization that has decades of experience in student exchange programs, including exchanges with Indonesia. One of the officials is Lydia Rose Sieber, who speaks fluent Indonesian, having learned it while she was an exchange student in Jakarta in 1988 and 1989.

The Fourth National Youth March will take place between July 7 and Aug. 22. It is timed to coincide with the celebrations of Indonesia's 50th anniversary of independence.

Previous marches have been held in November and December to coincide with National Social Solidarity Day.

The National Youth March is the brainchild of Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, the eldest daughter of President Soeharto.

This year will be the first time that American youths are taking part in the march.

The American delegation is coming to Indonesia well prepared, having been supplied with information about the country they are visiting by the Indonesian embassy here.

They are also bringing presents for President Soeharto and Siti Hardiyanti: a cowboy hat and a tea-pot with American decoration, respectively. Participants in the march are scheduled to be received by the President.

As in previous marches, the participants will take part in community work in the places they visit.

In addition to the main unit of the march, young people in cities and provinces on the marchers' route are also being mobilized. (Abdullah Balbed)