REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesians celebrated the 70th anniversary of the country's Independence Day on August 17, through various events, such as flag hoisting ceremonies held on a mountain, underwater, on a train, and in the middle of the sea.

Indonesia's independence was proclaimed by Soekarno and M. Hatta, who later became the first Indonesian president and vice president, in Jakarta, on August 17, 1945. Indonesia was colonized by the Dutch for 350 years and Japan for 3.5 years.

To celebrate the nation's anniversary, thousands of mountain climbers from across the country joined a flag hoisting ceremony at three spots on Mount Semeru, which is 3,676 meters above sea level.

"Some three thousand climbers held flag hoisting ceremonies at three locations - Ranupani, Ranu Kumbolo and Kalimati," the Head of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) Office, Ayu Dewi Utari, said.

Members of the public were very enthusiastic about participating in the event, due to which the quota of having 3000 participants was fulfilled quickly, he added.

The authorities had also restricted the number of participants because the volcano's current status is still alert. Climbers were prohibited from climbing Mount Semeru's Mahameru peak.

Underwater flag ceremonies were organized by the Indonesian Navy's Marine Corps simultaneously in Gapang beach in Sabang, Aceh's Weh Island, in Malalayang beach in Manado, North Sulawesi, and in Tapak Kuda beach in Ambon, Maluku Province.

On Weh Island, some 150 divers took part in the underwater flag hoisting ceremony with Marine Col Ali Bahar Saragih acted as the inspector of the ceremony and Marine Captain Ricky Sandro was the commander of the ceremony.

Indonesia's Red-and-White flag was hoisted 15 meters under the water during the 45-minute ceremony. After the ceremony, Col Ali Bahar presented tokens of appreciation to the divers participating in the event.

In Malalayang in Manado, some 250 divers comprising marines, police officers, Bunaken marine park officers, and the public took part in the ceremony.

Marine Colonel Herkulanus acted as the inspector of ceremony, while Lt Col Etwin Ramadhan was the commander of the ceremony that included flag hoisting, the reading of the Proclamation Text, and prayers.

The underwater flag hosting ceremony aims to promote the campaign to develop Indonesia as a global maritime axis, Herkulanus affirmed.

In the meantime, the Baron Beach Search and Rescue (SAR) Team and the local residents held a flag hoisting ceremony in the middle of the sea in Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta.

Coordinator of the event Marjono stated in Gunung Kidul, that more than 700 people comprising SAR team members, volunteers, students, and local inhabitants took part in the ceremony.

The ceremony was held to remind the public regarding the importance of protecting the ecosystem as several of the local inhabitants rely on the sea for their livelihood.

"Our daily livelihood relies on the sea, so we must protect it," he said.

Head of the Yogyakarta community protection section Riyadi Mujiarto, as the inspector of ceremony, remarked that the event was held to showcase Indonesia as a maritime nation.

"It shows that our economy relies on the maritime sector. Therefore, the 70th anniversary of Indonesia's independence will offer the necessary momentum to support the acceleration of maritime development," he emphasized.

In Papua, a flag hoisting ceremony was held at a PT Freeport Indonesia mine in the Deep Mile Level Zone (DMLZ), which is located some 1.6 kilometers deep from the Earth's surface.

The President Director of PT Freeport Indonesia, Maroef Sjamsoddin, acted as the inspector of ceremony at the event, which drew participation of the mining company's employees and local inhabitants.

In Bogor, West Java, passengers on the Bogor-Jakarta railway commuter line also took part in a ceremony held on a train heading to Jakarta.

Organized by the Indonesian Railway company PT KAI, the event saw participants singing the national anthem "Indonesia Raya" on the train.

PT KAI provided free rides to all passengers from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. to mark the Independence Day celebrations, which fell on August 17.

The railway company, which is a state-run enterprise (BUMN), joined the State Enterprises (BUMN) Ministry during the Independence Day commemoration, which was themed, "BUMN is Present for The Country."

Nationally, the government had chosen "Let's Work," as the theme for the commemoration.

At the State Palace in Jakarta, by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) acted as the inspector of the ceremony which was attended by First Lady Ariana Widodo, Vice President M Jusuf Kalla, former president Megawati Soekarnoputri along with former vice presidents: Try Sutrisno, Hamzah Has, and Boediono.

Several cabinet ministers, the Defense Forces commander, the National Police chief, the attorney general, foreign diplomats, and 20 foreign nationals who won the Indonesian language speech and essay writing contests, were also in attendance.

But, most of the invitees to the flag hoisting ceremony at the palace were ordinary people, claimed an official.

"We have invited citizens, fishermen, farmers, and children from orphanages. There were one thousand additional invitations, most of which were for the community, and 30 percent for the officials," Minister/State Secretary Pratikno noted on the sidelines of the flag hoisting ceremony.

The ceremony, commemorating the proclamation of independence, kicked off with a 17-cannon salute and the reading of the Proclamation Text by House Speaker Setya Novanto.

The head of state led the minutes of silence observed to pray for the fallen heroes who had fought for the country's freedom from the Dutch and Japanese colonizers.

The Red-and-White flag was hoisted by some students selected for their notable achievements from across the country.

On Bali Island, the world's most famous tourist resort, foreign tourists participated in a garbage cart pulling competition held at Kuta Beach, to celebrate the independence day.

During the competition, each participant was supposed to collect garbage along the Kuta Beach and deposit it on the the cart.

Many foreign tourists seemed to enjoy the game organized by the Garden and Cleanness Office of Badung District, Bali.

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