JAKARTA – Indonesia celebrated its Independence Day simultaneously in its new capital Nusantara, in East Kalimantan, and in Jakarta on Aug 17, with military parades, traditional dances and a fighter jet fly-past.
The country’s 79th Independence Day is the last celebration for Mr Joko Widodo as Indonesia’s president, as his elected successor Prabowo Subianto will be inaugurated in October.
In Nusantara, Mr Widodo and his wife, First Lady Iriana, sat at the main podium near the newly built presidential palace, the Garuda Palace. Mr Prabowo sat on Mr Widodo’s right side.
In Jakarta, the event was beamed live on giant screens to guests at the Istana Merdeka presidential palace, led by Vice-President Ma’ruf Amin.
Mr Prabowo’s ex-wife Titiek Soeharto, a daughter of Indonesia’s second president Suharto, enjoyed the Independence Day celebration from the VIP guests’ bench at the Jakarta presidential palace. She was accompanied by a nephew and her nieces.
A highlight of the celebration, following the hoisting of the national flag, was air combat manoeuvring by nine F-16 air force fighter jets in the skies above Nusantara.
The Indonesian armed forces then presented a video on large monitor screens of navy divers on the seabed of the Ambalat block spreading the Indonesian flag, to reflect their readiness to defend Indonesian borders. The oil-rich seabed is located off North Kalimantan province, which borders Malaysia.
Toward the end of the video clip, chants of “New Nusantara, Progress Indonesia” could be heard.
In between the presentations, dances and songs were performed before the 1,800 guests seated in front of the new presidential office, which is sited next to the palace. The recently completed Garuda Palace, modelled after Indonesia’s giant mythical bird, sits on higher ground.
Traditional-modern fusion Dayak dances were performed to the tune of nationalistic songs written by Guruh Soekarnoputra, a son of Indonesia’s first president Soekarno, who proclaimed Indonesian independence in 1945.
Female dancers held hornbill feathers and waved their arms up and down to mimic flying as they elegantly swirled and swayed. Male dancers held shields and ritual knives.
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Publish date : 2024-08-17 00:25:00
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