Indonesian expats celebrate country’s Independence Day

SOLEMN MOMENT: Indonesian students hoist their country’s flag during Independence Day celebrations in Jeddah. (AN photo)

JEDDAH: The Consulate of the Republic of Indonesia in Jeddah organized a flag hoisting ceremony in commemoration of the 71st anniversary of Indonesian independence at the residence of the Indonesian Consul General on Wednesday.

The ceremony was headed by the Acting Consul General of Indonesia, Dicky Yunus, and was carried out by a flag-hoisting squad from the students of Indonesian School of Jeddah. The flag raising event was followed by the Indonesian national anthem and a moment of silence in remembrance of the fallen heroes and martyrs who died in the struggled for the freedom of Indonesia.
The ceremony commenced at 6 a.m. in the presence of the Consulate’s staff and their families, as well as teachers and students from Indonesian schools in Jeddah and Makkah and prominent members of the Indonesian community.
Dicky Yunus read out the Indonesian state philosophy and the text of the proclamation of Indonesia’s independence as well as the preamble of the 1945 Constitution. Yunus also read a message from the Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who congratulated the people and encouraged them to remain united despite their differences.
Yunus also presented his own message of unity and insisted that all of the Indonesian people in the Kingdom and around the world should stand proud and united.
Students from the Indonesian School in Jeddah sang a series of patriotic songs related to the occasion to enthuse the audience. The 45-minute ceremony was attended by hundreds of participants.