The Indonesian flag was carried upside down by performers at a song performance during the SEA Games opening ceremony at the Morodok Techo National Stadium, Phnom Penh, on Friday (May 5).
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the apology was tendered at the bilateral meeting between both leaders on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit.
"Starting the meeting, Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed his apology to Indonesia over the incident wherein the Indonesian flag was flown upside down during the SEA Games opening ceremony," Marsudi stated.
The bilateral meeting between Indonesia and Cambodia took place after Jokowi presided over the 42nd ASEAN Summit opening plenary session at the Meruorah Convention Centre on Wednesday morning.
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In response to the incident, the Indonesian National Olympics Committee (NOC) had sent an official letter of objection to the Cambodian SEA Games Organizing Committee (CAM SOC).
According to Indonesian NOC acting secretary general, Harry Warganegara, on Friday, the Cambodian side promptly expressed apology after being made aware of the incident.
One day after the incident, Cambodian Minister of Education, Youth, and Sports, Hang Chuon Naron, personally met Minister of Youth and Sports, Dito Ariotedjo, to discuss and apologize for the incident.
Ariotedjo appealed to Indonesians to have a big heart and accept the apology from Cambodia, as conveyed from his Instagram account @ditoariotedjo.
"Please forgive (them), as it was purely unintentional. (The minister conveyed his apology) truly from the heart," Ariotedjo stated on Saturday (May 6).
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Translator: Gilang Galiartha, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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