"After 77 years of Indonesia's independence, this is the first Indonesian Independence Anniversary ceremony held by the Beringharjo Market traders," Chief of the Beringharjo Market Traders Association Darmastono who acted as the Inspector of Ceremonies, remarked in Yogyakarta, Wednesday.
According to Darmastono, the Independence Day Ceremony was intended to remind traders of the heroes' sacrifices in achieving independence, so celebrating the Independence Day anniversary was of utmost significance.
He said celebrating independence for a trader could mean fully understanding his or her rights and obligations.
"We have rights to trade at Beringharjo Market, but traders have obligations to comply with the regulations," he remarked.
He also urged traders to always work together to advance traditional markets, especially in the current digitalization era to ensure their existence amid rapid developments in technology and rampant online trades.
Meanwhile, Head of the Yogyakarta City Trade Office, Veronica Ambar Ismuwardani, said that the Independence Day ceremony at Beringharjo Market was purely held due to the traders' initiative.
"We strongly support the initiative because it shows that traders have a high spirit of nationalism," Ismuwardani affirmed.
Ismuwardani explained that Beringharjo Market, which was founded before the day the country gained independence, had borne witness to the history of the nation's struggles to achieve independence.
"Beringharjo Market has a very longstanding story about the struggle for independence. If it is made into a book, it will have many volumes and be very long," she stated.
She also expressed hope that the Indonesian Independence Day ceremony would not only be held at Beringharjo Market but also in all traditional markets. In Yogyakarta City, there are 29 traditional markets, with a total of around 15 thousand traders.
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Translator: Eka R, Kenzu T
Editor: Sri Haryati
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