6 days ago
In Indonesia, truckers have turned 'One Piece' Straw Hat Pirates flag into a protest symbol ahead of Independence Day
JAKARTA, Aug 5 — Why is the Indonesian government planning to ban people from flying a flag from a popular anime?
The pirate flag flown by the Straw Hats Pirates from the anime One Piece has been going viral in Indonesia and it all started from…angry truck drivers.
Anger at policy
With the country's national day in August, it has been a long-held practice for logistics and truck drivers to fly the Indonesian flag.
However, drivers are choosing to fly the One Piece flag instead as a show of dissatisfaction with the current government.
Much of it stems from Indonesia's new Zero ODOL policy, ODOL meaning over-dimension and overloaded trucks in a bid to improve road safety as well as address damage caused by said trucks.
Truck drivers in Indonesia earn low wages with many being paid based on the weight of the goods on their trips.
A truck driver told that while they do want to follow the law, it's usually transport operators and truck owners who pressure drivers into carrying loads that exceed the legal limits.
Ruffled politicians
Instead of directly addressing the drivers' frustrations Indonesian politicians have instead attacked the choice of flag, with Gerindra Party executive and deputy house speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad calling it a 'systematic movement' aimed at undermining national unity.
'There is a coordinated attempt to divide the nation,' he said, according to the Jakarta Globe.
Antara News also reported that Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai stated that the government 'reserves the right' to ban the from being flown on Indonesia's Independence Day.
He stated that flying the flag alongside the Indonesian national flag could potentially be called sedition and might even be a legal violation.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Budi Gunawan agreed with Natalius, citing Indonesia's Article 24, Paragraph 1, of Law No. 24 of 2009 on the Flag, Language, State Emblem, and National Anthem.
The law prohibits raising any other flag above the national flag and it would be considered. a form of desecration.
The pirate flag of the Straw Hat Pirates led by Monkey D Luffy as seen in the anime. — Screenshot from the One Piece anime
With the Independence Day celebrations coming up on August 17 it remains to be seen how long the flag waving trend will continue.
As of press time there has been no official comment from the creators of One Piece on the flag being co-opted for a citizen protest.
The Straw Hats Pirates flag differs from the well-known Jolly Roger pirate flag where instead of just a skull and crossbones, the cartoonised skull is seen wearing a straw hat like the pirates it represents.
Eiichiro Oda is the illustrator of the manga One Piece that the anime is based on, and was recently criticised for seemingly prioritising the anime over completing the manga story.
