The Jakarta Post
Parents of two students, who were expelled from SMP 21 state junior high school in Batam for refusing to salute the national flag and sing the national anthem, are hoping that their children will be able to complete their education at the school. One of the students’ parents, Herlina Boru Sibuea, said her child had not since elementary school raised his hand to salute the Indonesian flag or sing the anthem because it was against their beliefs as Jehovah’s Witnesses. “He behaved that way due to our Bible’s teaching, as saluting the flag could be interpreted as a form of worship. We don’t do that because it’s against our belief,” the 46-year-old mother told The Jakarta Post. When her son first entered the school, Herlina had attached a certificate stating the family’s religious belief to ask for the school’s understanding regar...