The
display of pirate flags inspired by the popular manga One Piece in
Indonesia ahead of Independence Day has once again caught international
attention. Most recently, British media outlet BBC covered the phenomenon in an
article titled “How a cartoon skull became a symbol of defiance in
Indonesia.”
According
to the BBC, Jolly Roger flags—best known as the emblem of the Straw Hat Pirates
in One Piece—began appearing across Indonesia in late July 2025. They
have been spotted hanging from house gates, painted on walls, and even fixed to
the backs of vehicles.
“In
July, these symbols began popping up across Indonesia… For many, the symbols
were a response to President Prabowo Subianto’s call for citizens to raise the
national red-and-white flag ahead of the August 17 Independence Day
celebrations,” the BBC reported on Friday, August 8, 2025.
Instead,
some citizens chose to raise the pirate flag as a sign of dissatisfaction with
what they see as an increasingly centralized government, the report continued.
First
published in 1997, Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece is one of the most
successful manga franchises in the world, selling over 520 million copies and
spawning more than 1,100 TV episodes. The series enjoys a massive fanbase in
Indonesia.
“Just
as the pirates in the series raise the Jolly Roger as a symbol of freedom, some
Indonesians view flying the flag as an expression of love for their
country—while not necessarily agreeing with government policies,” the BBC
wrote.
The
trend has also drawn coverage from other international outlets such as Malay
Mail and the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
Malay
Mail
published an article titled “In Indonesia, truckers have turned ‘One Piece’
Straw Hat Pirates flag into a protest symbol ahead of Independence Day”,
highlighting how truck drivers have adopted the flag to protest the
government’s Over Dimension Over Loading (ODOL) regulations.
“Raising
the Indonesian flag has long been a tradition among truck drivers during the
independence month. But now, they are replacing it with the One Piece
flag to show dissatisfaction with the government,” Malay Mail reported
on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
Meanwhile,
SCMP ran a piece titled “Indonesians fly anime pirate flag in Independence
Day protest”, describing the flag as a symbol of “the spirit of resistance
against injustice” that still resonates among the working class.
The
phenomenon has sparked debate within Indonesia. Deputy Home Affairs Minister
Bima Arya Sugiarto said raising the pirate flag was a form of free expression,
as long as it does not violate the constitution.
However,
Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai warned that the government has the
authority to prohibit the use of such symbols if deemed offensive to national
symbols.
“If
flown alongside the national flag or used in a provocative context, it could be
considered a legal offense or even incitement,” Pigai stated.
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