Flag of Indonesia - Colours, Meaning, History ??

Sang Saka Merah Putih is the name of the Indonesian flag. It has two horizontal bands, and a white (bottom) and red (top) at a ratio of 2:3. The flag was raised publicly for the first time on August 17th, 1945 at the Indonesian Declaration of Independence. This was done again on December 27th, 1949, when the Dutch transferred sovereignty to the Indonesian people. The Indonesian and Monaco flags are almost graphically identical. The only difference is in the dimensions.

History of the Flag of Indonesia

The Pagaruyung Kingdom and Minangkabau kings based in Indonesia used a black-red-yellow vertical tricolor flag. The Dutch invaded Indonesia and took control under the title Dutch East Indies. They brought in their flag which was a red-white-blue horizontal tricolor.

In 1942, the Dutch East Indies were invaded by the Japanese who flew a red sun on a white field flag. The Japanese rule lasted from 1942 – 1945. In 1945, Indonesia became a republic and adopted the red-white horizontal bicolor flag. Legends say that Fatmawati, Indonesia’s first First Lady, sewed the original red-white flag. She made it from cotton and some wool yarn from London. Wool is known for durability.

From then, war broke out between the Dutch Empire and the Republic of Indonesia. The Indonesians had declared their independence, but the Netherlands did not accept it and thought that the Indonesians wanted them to rule. They finally recognized the Indonesians’ independence after the war and numerous interventions in 1949 and in the same year, the Indonesian nationalists officially retook Indonesia from the Netherlands. The flag was hoisted during Independence Day ceremonies every year from 1946 to 1968, in front of the presidential palace.

What is the meaning behind the colours of the Indonesian Flag?

Colour
According to the constitution, Sang Saka Merah-Putih, the official name of the Indonesian flag, means lofty bicolor red and white. Other titles for the flag include Bendera Merah-Putih, meaning red and white flag, or Sang Dwiwarna (bicolor). Sang Saka Merah-Putih is also Bendera Pusaka, the flag Sukamo flew in front of his house on August 17th, 1945, after proclaiming Indonesia’s independence. On August 17th, 1968, Bendera Pusaka was hoisted for the last time and has since then been preserved. A replica has replaced the original since it became too fragile.

The 13th-century banner from the Majapahit Empire is the origin of the colors of the Indonesian flag. Other theories suggest that the red and white symbolism may have originated from the Austronesian mythology of the duality of Father Sky for the white color and Mother Earth for the red color. This myth could be true seeing that other countries like Madagascar and Tahiti have a variation of the red and white flag.

Early records of these two colors trace usage to the white or red panji or pataka in the Paraton Chronicle. The Pataka was a long flag attached to a curved bamboo pole. According to the Paraton chronicle, during the early 12th-century Singhasari invasion, the Gelang-Gelang had a Jayakatwang troop that hoisted the white and red banner. The colors therefore existed and were revered even before the Majapahit era. Their Kediri era also recorded usage as the Kingdom’s banner.

The colors were also available in ancient Indonesia. Red is a natural dye acquired from the Averrhoa bilimbi flowers, teak leaves, or the skin of mangosteen fruits, while woven cotton fabrics are naturally white. The Javanese kingdoms are not the only ones who used white and red, others included:

King Sisingamangaraja IX of Batak used a red battle flag with a twin sword (Piso Gaja Dompak).
The period of 1873 to 1904, during the Aceh War, the battle flag from Aceh warriors had a star, sun, a crescent, a Quranic script, and a white sword image on a red background.
The Buginese Bone Kingdom, South Sulawesi, who call their red and white flag Woromporang.
The royal banner of the Balinese Badung is white, red and black, and maybe is of Majapahit origin.
Prince Diponegoro’s banner was also red and white in the period between 1825 and 1830, during the Java War.

The early 20th century saw these colors revived as nationalists and students used them to express nationalism against the Dutch. The Dutch prohibited flying of the red and white flag during their rule, but a modern version of it flew in 1928 in Java. Indonesia’s declaration of independence took place in 1945, and they adopted the current flag.

The red color on the flag represents the courage and blood while white is a symbol of purity and spirit. Most Indonesians use these colors for ceremonies. They use palm sugar (gula aren) to get the red color and mix it with rice that provides the white color.

Shape
The Indonesian flag consists of two equally sized horizontal bands with a ratio of 2:3.

Interesting Facts about the Indonesian Flag

Even though the Dutch banned usage of the flag in 1922 for its representation of the activist’s desire for Indonesian independence from Dutch colonialism, the nationalists still flew the flag defiantly on the Island of Java.
In another incidence in 1945, during the Indonesian War of Independence as the Battle for Surabaya was taking place, Indonesian youths lowered the Dutch colonial flag that they had raised on the Yamato Hotel. The flag had three colors: red, blue and white. They tore off the blue stripe and raised the flag with the red and white colors of the Indonesian flag. To this day, the hotel became the independence hotel and was renamed Hotel Merdeka.
After the declaration of independence in Indonesia, Monaco filed a complaint since the Indonesian flag looked a lot like theirs. This complaint was ignored.
The flag should fly between sunset and sunrise. It can also fly at night under special circumstances.
The flag should be displayed at government and office buildings and on public landmarks.
Citizens should also fly the flag on special days including Heroes Day and National Education Day.
Every year on December 26th, the flag flies at half-mast to remember the 2004 earthquake and tsunami victims. It should also fly at half-mast three days after a leader in government dies and on condolence days designated by the Indonesian government.
The flag should not touch the ground, water or other objects during hoisting. It should also not get soiled.
The flag should not be: used to cover billboards, goods or ceilings; printed on goods that reduce its honor; have badges, alphabets, words, sentences, symbols or words placed on it.
Citizens should not tear up, damage, burn, tramp or engage in any action intended to tarnish, degrade or insult the national flag.
Citizens should not hoist the flag if it’s broken, faded, dull, crumpled or torn.