Latest news with #DendiChristanto
Reuters
08-08-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Indonesian artists, students unfurl manga pirate sign as protest symbol
BEKASI, Indonesia/KARANGANYAR, Indonesia, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Spraypainting brick walls in an empty yard, Indonesian artist Kemas Muhammad Firdaus braved midday heat to paint a skull in a straw hat on a black background, a nod to the Japanese manga series "One Piece" about treasure-hunting pirates. Over the past month, students and activists in the world's third-largest democracy Indonesia have put up the pirate sign used by "One Piece" character Monkey D. Luffy as a symbol of protest against several government policies ahead of the country's Independence Day on August 17. Some officials have lambasted the sign, with a member of parliament saying it was akin to treason. President Prabowo Subianto's office said that while the country respects freedom of expression and criticism, the sign could undermine Indonesia's national flag if flown side by side. Kemas, 28, a mural artist in West Java's Bekasi district, said he was painting the pirate sign as a form of protest against government corruption and unemployment. "Many Indonesians are hoisting the 'One Piece' flag because they want the government to listen to them," Kemas said in an interview while drawing his mural, which shared some design elements of the official logo for Indonesia's 80th anniversary. In Central Java's Karanganyar district, custom-made flag seller Dendi Christanto said he had received an overwhelming number of "One Piece" flag orders over the past month and had stopped accepting them. The pirate sign has dominated Indonesian social media, and its popularity follows student protests in February across several cities against budget cuts and other policies, such as an increased role of the military in civilian life. Students and activists dubbed the demonstrations as "Dark Indonesia". Indonesia has a history of student activism and protests that sometimes turn violent. In 1998, students held a series of demonstrations against corruption, food shortages and mass unemployment that ended in deadly riots in May and the downfall of former President Suharto after decades of authoritarian rule. This week, local media reported that authorities in East Java confiscated some of the "One Piece" flags, a move criticised by Amnesty International as heavy-handed. "They didn't have to do all that, accusing them of dividing Indonesia - that's wrong," artist Kemas said. "It's just art." President Prabowo's office said the government did not order any raids.
Asia News Network
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Asia News Network
Garment factory in Indonesia flooded with One Piece Jolly Roger flag orders
JAKARTA – The pirate flag from the One Piece manga series has become a new trend to criticize the government's performance ahead of the 80th anniversary of Independence Day on Aug. 17. Such high enthusiasm has led to heightened orders for Dendi Christanto, the owner of Wik Wiki Apparel garment factory in Jati village, Jaten district, Karanganyar regency, Central Java. Dendi has received thousands of orders for the Straw Hat Jolly Roger flag, flown by the Straw Hat Pirates, led by Monkey D. Luffy in the manga series, which has been adapted into an anime series, anime movies and a live-action movie. 'The trend started to pick up by the end of July. I could receive hundreds of orders a day from all over Indonesia,' Dendi said on Monday, as quoted by He said the trend started from social media posts which popularized the Straw Hat Jolly Roger flag as a form of freedom of expression and social criticism ahead of the Independence Day celebrations. ' One Piece is like the 'state of Konoha' and was just in time for the Independence Day,' Dendi said, referring to Naruto, another Japanese manga icon. 'It was starting to get intense in end of July, so many people ordered the custom flag.' Konoha is a village in the Naruto manga series, where the namesake protagonist comes from. Konoha is often used as a euphemism for Indonesia on social media, due to likenesses in social demographics and leadership. Dendi said he produces flags in various sizes, starting from smaller flags to 2 meters wide. The price was affordable, starting from Rp 10,000 (US 61 cents), depending on size and material. He said his factory used three materials of polyester, satin and peles cloth (habutai silk), and that many orders were still coming. The phenomenon of waving flags from Japanese series is not new, Dendi said, but it has found a resurgence ahead of the Independence Day celebration. 'Some use the flags to decorate their rooms while the other carry the flags to big events or concerts,' he said. Posts on social media show many people putting the flags on their vehicles or houses. The flags are often flown independently but sometimes flown together at a lower position on the same pole with the red-and-white flags. It seems that the public is not deterred by threats issued on Saturday by Coordinating Politics and Security Minister Budi Gunawan, who warned of legal consequences for anyone flying the One Piece flag. Budi, a retired police general, cited Article 24 Clause 1 of Law No. 24/2009 on State Flag, Language, Symbol and National Anthem, which bans anyone from flying the state flag below any other flags or symbols. There have been, however, no reports of such cases taking place. He said that flying the anime flag was a provocation to reduce the authority and degree of the state flag and reminded the public of criminal consequences of doing so. Meanwhile, traders at Jatinegara Market in East Jakarta were reluctant to sell the One Piece flag, although many customers were looking for them. 'I am not brave yet, I am afraid it will be banned and I will be suffering losses if the flags are confiscated without clear reasons,' a trader, Dodi, said on Sunday, as quoted by Dodi said that despite some garment factories had produced and sent the flags to traders and buyers, traders at Jatinegara Market were reluctant to take the risk by selling the flags. 'We are not brave enough to display them here but there are many orders through online markets. We are just playing it safe,' he said.
