Dinda Shabrina – Mansurni Abadi, an Indonesian diaspora student in Malaysia who is the driving force behind the Jolly Roger, or One Piece, flag-raising campaign with the Plaintiff Student Alliance, stated that the movement will continue throughout August 2025. He emphasized that the action is organic, creative, and adaptable to local issues in each region.
"We hope it will be a massive and organic movement. It doesn't have to follow the standard One Piece flag; it can be creative and relate it to local issues," he said when contacted on Sunday, August 10, 2025.
He said the movement from the community has decreased slightly due to widespread pressure from the authorities. However, Mansur hopes the action can continue. He also stated that actions don't always have to be carried out collectively in large numbers. In fact, individual or small group movements are considered more strategic because they can spread evenly. He claimed that participant enthusiasm remains high.
He regretted that government officials, even the president, had stated that they had no problem with the use of the flag. However, he wondered why there was so much pressure and even threats from authorities on the ground against residents. "Many flag vendors on the street are afraid to sell One Piece flags for fear of repercussions. They've even been threatened with jail time. Even online stores have had orders canceled for fear," he said.
He attributed this pressure to the authorities' paranoia about mass symbols. "It's similar to the PKI, HTI, or anarchist flags. The challenge is educating them about the law, explaining that these protests are not against the law and are part of democratic rights," he said.
He said the One Piece flag-raising movement has the potential to develop into a cross-people forum without barriers. He emphasized that he would not back down, even if faced with restrictions. "The solution is simple: protest in any way. If you can raise it, please raise it. If you can just share and like it on social media, do so," he said.
Previously, the raising of the One Piece pirate animation flag ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia was popular on social media. The action was a form of protest and an expression of disappointment with the government through a pop culture symbol.
The One Piece flag-raising movement was not only popular domestically. The call spread abroad by a group of unorganized young people, who relied on sophisticated technology and the power of social media.