Indonesian Minister Assures No Raids Against One Piece Flag

August 5, 2025 | 06:46 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi said the government is not conducting raids over the raising of One Piece flag in the country. According to him, the government values the criticisms symbolized by flying the flags popularized through Eiichiro Oda's manga series.

"There's no problem with criticisms, the government welcomes them. We are aware of many things that must be improved," said Prasetyo in Jakarta on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.

President Prabowo Subianto, according to Prasetyo, does not mind the flag-hoisting, as long as they are not juxtaposed with Indonesia's very own Red and White Flag. "For example, urging others to fly the One Piece flag instead of the Red and White flag," he said.

For the Gerindra politician, the Red and White Flag is highly sacred, especially approaching the upcoming Indonesian Independence Day on August 17. He urges the younger generation to love the Red and White both physically and spiritually. "Whatever the condition, it must be loved," he said.

Raising the One Piece flag ahead of Independence Day has become a prominent symbol of resistance among Indonesian people. One Piece's main character, Monkey D. Luffy, is depicted as a rebel against oppressive military and corrupt authorities. So for fans, hoisting the pirate symbol is considered a form of support for the values of justice, freedom, and determination to achieve their dreams in the story.

The Banten Regional Police Brigadier General Hengki said they are firmly against citizens that hoist the One Piece flag during Indonesian Independence Day celebrations. According to Hengki, the pirate symbol on the One Piece flag is considered provocative and diminishes the status of the Red and White flag. He urges the people of Banten to hoist the national flag as a form of respect for the freedom fighters.

The government, through the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Budi Gunawan, also warned of criminal consequences, referring to Law Number 24 of 2009 on the National Flag, Language, and Symbol. "This is our effort to protect the dignity and symbols of the state," said Budi on Friday, August 1, 2025.

Meanwhile, the director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Usman Hamid, dismissed the government's response to the viral phenomenon as excessive, especially if followed with threats of penal sanctions.

Editor’s Choice: One Piece Pirate Flag Conflicts with Nationalist Ideals, Says Lawmaker

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