AUGUST 1, 2025 — Ahead of Indonesia’s 80th Independence Day, two top government leaders have expressed concern over the recent trend of displaying the pirate flag from the popular Japanese anime series One Piece.
Both Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, and Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Budi Gunawan, see the trend as a potential threat to national unity and the dignity of Indonesia’s revered symbols.
The One Piece flag, a Jolly Roger symbol associated with freedom and rebellion in the manga, has been used by some Indonesians as a form of protest against perceived democratic erosion.
However, both leaders urge the public to recognize the distinction between personal expression and actions that threaten national unity.
Deputy Speaker Dasco described the phenomenon as part of a systematic effort to divide the nation, according to Indonesian magazine Tempo.
“We have detected and received input from security institutions that there are indeed efforts to divide unity,” he said yesterday, “We must resist such things. Let’s unite and fight.”
Minister Gunawan complemented this stance by emphasizing the need to preserve the sanctity of Indonesia’s national flag, the Red and White, says Antara.
He pointed out that while the government supports free expression, actions involving the raising of flags irrelevant to the national struggle could undermine the nation’s identity.
Image: Ferfive, CC BY 4.0
