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View all search resultsAnalysis: ‘One Piece’ flag exposes sovereignty threat narrative
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Illustration of a pirate flag from Japanese anime One Piece. (Shutterstock/Fahmi Syauki)
A
s the 80th anniversary of Indonesian independence approaches, a surprising symbol of nationalist pride has emerged. Instead of displaying the historic Red and White flag, a nationwide grassroots movement has citizens waving the flag of a fictional pirate group from the famous Japanese manga and anime series One Piece.
The movement began with a viral video of truck drivers flying the flag and has since gained momentum, with more and more people buying the flag and joining in. Houses that would typically be decorated with the national flag are now displaying the flag of the Straw Hat Pirates.
For context, Eiichiro Oda’s best-selling series One Piece follows the adventures of a young pirate named Monkey D. Luffy, who is seeking freedom and his ultimate goal to become the Pirate King. His main adversary is the World Government, a corrupt totalitarian regime. The show centers on the inherent tension between Luffy’s Straw Hat Pirates and the World Government, and the villains are often portrayed as evil state agents serving the regime’s interests at the expense of innocent civilians.
The flag itself is a Jolly Roger wearing a straw hat, the protagonist’s iconic headgear. Much like in the series, the Straw Hat Pirates flag represents more than just a presence. It is a symbol of resistance against the draconian realities faced by those disenfranchised by the ruling elite. It is a sign of fatigue and weariness with the growing social inequalities people face every day.
Amid economic uncertainty, job insecurity, and the decay of civil liberties, Indonesians have taken a creative approach to express their discontent. While the sociopolitical undertones are clear, government officials have reinforced the repressive rhetoric that the flag bearers criticize.
As the movement went viral, Deputy House Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad denounced the phenomenon, saying that displaying the Straw Hat Pirates flag was a threat to national security and a systemic effort by third parties to endanger the country's sovereignty and unity. Calls for a nationwide crackdown ensued, and many officials from the national and to provincial levels moved to prohibit the flag’s use in the lead-up to Independence Day.
After realizing the legislature’s embarrassing overreach, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi affirmed that President Prabowo Subianto had no issue with the flag being hoisted as a form of expression, if it did not intend to divide the country.
