The Home Affairs Ministry on Friday kicked off a campaign to distribute 10 million red-and-white flags nationwide in the run-up to the 80th Independence Day commemoration at the Niti Mandala Bali People’s Struggle Monument here.
Director general for politics and governance at the ministry, Bahtiar Baharuddin, emphasized the symbolic importance of the location, saying that it represents Indonesia’s enduring struggle to reject colonialism.
“It is a historical fact that our struggle against imperialism always comes alive from places like this, including this Bali People’s Struggle Monument, which serves as the background of our ceremony today,” Baharuddin said.
The tradition of distributing 10 million flags for Independence Day was started in 2022, he noted, adding that detailed calculations show the number of distributed flags was higher than 10 million.
“We distributed over 10 million flags from Aceh to Papua. However, the ‘10 million’ number was ultimately tied to the campaign name,” he said.
The ministry, echoing President Prabowo Subianto’s encouragement, urged all residents to fly the red-and-white flag throughout August to demonstrate their spirit of patriotism and love for the nation.
This is a simple way to remind the people that the national flag must not be taken for granted as it is a result of a long struggle to achieve independence and sovereignty, Baharuddin explained.
Meanwhile, head of the Bali National and Political Unity Agency (Kesbangpol), Gede Suralaga, said that the movement is a reminder for the Indonesian nation about the power of solidarity in facing national challenges.
He also reaffirmed his agency’s readiness to support the movement, saying it is consistent with the ngayah tradition of Bali.
“The spirit of mutual assistance is rooted in ngayah, our noble tradition that reflects sincerity and selfless devotion for collective harmony,” Suralaga said.
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Translator: Ni Putu Putri M, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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