A flag raising ceremony kicked off the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore’s celebrations for Indonesia’s national day, with a festival to be hosted later in the week.  

The vibrant archipelago of Indonesia and its diaspora celebrate the Southeast Asian nation’s independence on August 17 every year.

Touching on a complex history

The history of Indonesia’s struggle for independence is a complex narrative that spans centuries of colonization, resistance, and ultimately, the triumph of a people determined to assert their right to self-determination. 

Indonesia was a Dutch colony for over 300 years from the early 17th century. It was then known as the Dutch East Indies. 

In the early 20th century, Indonesian nationalist sentiments began to emerge, fueled by factors like increased education and exposure to nationalist ideas from other parts of the world. During World War II, following the country’s short occupation by Japan, the opportunity for Indonesia to claim its independence presented itself. 

On August 17, 1945, Indonesia’s founding fathers proclaimed the nation’s independence from Dutch colonial rule, issuing the historic Proclamation of Indonesian Independence. 

Indonesia’s national day celebrations in Singapore

This event was commemorated with a flag raising ceremony at the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore early on Thursday morning. 

It was attended by the Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore Suryo Pratomo, all embassy staff, spouses, students of Sekolah Indonesia Singapura, and other invited guests, an embassy spokesperson told Diplomatic Network (Asia).  

On Sunday, the Indonesian Embassy will host a festival on its premises to celebrate the occasion further. The festival will include a bazaar, a food booth and music performances from Indonesian artists as well as from the Indonesian community in Singapore.  

The festival starts at 1000 SGT. 

Chairil Anwar

In celebration of Indonesia’s independence, fighting spirit and rich cultural heritage, the following is a poem by famous Indonesian poet, Chairil Anwar. It is entitled “Aku”, which means “I”.

If my time has come 

I don’t want anyone to beg 

Not even you 

I don’t need that sniveling! 

I’m but a wild animal 

Exiled even from his own group 

Even if bullets pierce my skin 

I will still enrage and attack 

Wounds and poison I’ll take running 

Running 

Until the pain leaves 

And I will care even less 

I want to live a thousand more years