"We fly the giant Red and White flag on a hill located near the border line in order to celebrate the 75th Indonesian Independence Day," Lt. Col. Hendra Cipta, commander of the Yonif 133 Indonesian-Malaysian border security task force, said on Sunday.
Hendra said that the flag raising was carried out on Bukit Sinduk in Batang Lupar Sub-district , Kapuas Hulu District, West Kalimantan Province, by the personnel of the Kapar Unit of the Yonif 133 / YS Task Force along with all components of the community in the border area.
The hoisting of the giant flag and hundreds of smaller ones was not only to celebrate Indonesia's anniversary, but also as an effort to foster a sense of love for the country and a spirit of nationalism among the people living in the border area .
In the meantime, the government has made an earnest appeal to Indonesians to stop their activities for three minutes on August 17, 2020, at 10:17 a.m. Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB) in observance of the country's Independence Day.
The entire community is expected to respect and observe the Proclamation by momentarily halting all activities and standing up straight and solemnly on August 17, 2020, at 10:17 a.m. local time, Minister of State Secretary, Pratikno, as chair of the Committee for the National Independence Day Celebrations and Reception for Heads of State, foreign countries' representatives, stated in Jakarta, recently.
"Take a perfect stance and stand tall to honor the commemoration of the anniversary of Indonesia’s Proclamation of Independence," he emphasized.
The anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia's Proclamation of Independence on August 17, 2020, will be commemorated virtually through the application of stringent health protocols and the active involvement of the entire community.
This year's ceremony to commemorate the Proclamation of Indonesia's Independence will only be attended by limited number of invitees involved in the series of memorial services.
The public, at large, will be able to follow the virtual memorial ceremony on television or the Internet.
During the flag hoisting ceremony at the Merdeka Palace, the original text of the proclamation written by the hands of the late Soekarno will be displayed.
Indonesia had proclaimed its independence on August 17, 1945, after being colonized by the Dutch forces for 350 years and later by Japan for three and a half years.
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Translator: Teofilusianto T, Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
