On National Children’s Day most children should have every reason to celebrate.



But instead of a party, some children taking part in this year’s events had to be scolded by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for dozing off while he was delivering his speech yesterday.



Yudhoyono stopped his speech to wake up a number of children who had fallen asleep after they were apparently at a loss over his verbose and English-peppered sentences.



“We have the obligation to fulfill our children’s rights [pause]. Could you please help wake up those who are sleeping over there. I see one or two who are sleepy. Alright, now please listen to me again,”

Yudhoyono said from the lectern inside the Keong Mas IMAX Theater at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah.



As one member of the event’s organizing committee woke up the guilty parties, other children in the audience, who ap...