The raising of the One Piece manga series flag ahead of Indonesia's 80th Independence Day on August 17 has caught public attention. The flag of the Japanese manga series about pirates, known as the Jolly Roger, is being raised in homes and vehicles in various regions.
The flag featuring a skull with a straw hat is the symbol of the Straw Hat Pirates group led by Monkey D Luffy, the main character in the Japanese comic. One Piece, written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda, which tells the adventure of Monkey D Luffy becoming the pirate king, has been published since July 22, 1997, until now.
For fans, some of the stories in One Piece represent resistance to injustice. In some of its stories, Monkey D Luffy and his companions have to face corrupt governments, sadistic military, human rights violations, genocide, racial discrimination, and attempts to manipulate history.
The phenomenon of raising the One Piece flag ahead of Indonesia's 80th Independence Day has received various responses from various groups, including political parties supporting Prabowo's government.
Gerindra Party
Gerindra Party politician, Danang Wicaksana Sulistya, urged the public not to raise the One Piece flag ahead of the 80th Independence Day. He considered the use of pirate-themed anime symbols in national commemorations to be inappropriate.
"I ask for this trend to be stopped. Let's not participate in something irrelevant to the spirit of independence struggle," he said in a written statement on the Gerindra website on Sunday, August 3, 2025.
Members of the House of Representatives Commission V stated that the raising of the One Piece flag could undermine nationalist values. Danang opined that popular anime culture may be part of entertainment, but he believed it should not be presented in sacred spaces, such as independence day celebrations.
According to him, Indonesia's Independence Day is not just a ceremony. "Celebrate independence in a dignified manner. Don't just follow trends, especially those that could provoke controversy or disrupt order," he said.
PDI-P
The Chair of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Central Executive Board, Andreas Hugo Pareira, disagreed with the public's act of raising the One Piece flag ahead of the August 17th celebration being called subversion. According to him, the movement is an expression of society towards the current social and political conditions.
"It's excessive to consider the One Piece flag as a subversive act," he said in a written statement on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.
He stated that society's expression is part of the civil liberties guaranteed by the constitution. Therefore, Andreas stated that the government does not need to react repressively to the act of raising the One Piece flag. He believed the government should take a humane approach to the people who raise the One Piece flag during this month of independence. "Because there is no form of legal violation, nor is it insulting to the state symbol," said the Vice Chairman of the DPR Commission XIII.
He also stated that the government should use this movement as a subject for introspection. Therefore, Andreas said that society's expression through this fictional symbol shows serious problems in the country. However, he also urged civil society to continue to raise the Red and White flag during this month of independence.
Golkar Party
Vice Chairman of the Golkar Party, Idrus Marham, reminded all levels of society not to desecrate the sanctity of the 80th Independence Day with foreign symbols. "This isn't about hating foreign cultures. This is about placing symbols in their proper place," said Idrus in a written statement in Jakarta on Tuesday, as quoted from Antara.
He hoped that society would not mix entertainment symbols with national symbols, especially in the sacred context of independence celebrations.
Idrus emphasized that the creativity of the younger generation is an essential strength in nation-building, but popular culture expressions should not enter various symbolic and sacred national areas.
"If used in cosplay events or communities, go ahead. But if it replaces the position of the Red and White in August, it's not just about expression, but it's already blurring our national identity," he said.
PKB Party
Meanwhile, the Chair of the PKB Central Executive Board, Luluk Nur Hamidah, urged the government and society not to rush into negative judgments about the widespread raising of pirate flags from the One Piece animation series ahead of the 80th Independence Day of Indonesia.
According to her, this phenomenon is an expression of young people who often quickly absorb popular culture, especially amid the rapid flow of social media. "It's like representing the situation they face, particularly related to the spirit of freedom, solidarity, and resistance to injustice," said Luluk in a written statement on Tuesday.
Luluk believed that the meaning of symbols like pirate flags can change when they appear in public spaces. Therefore, she suggested that the government should handle this phenomenon wisely. "Make this a moment to increase popular cultural literacy, open up dialogue spaces between generations, and understand the concerns of young people," she said.
Democratic Party
General Secretary of the Democratic Party, Herman Khaeron, considered the raising of the One Piece flag ahead of the 80th Independence Day of Indonesia to be unethical. According to him, the fictional Jolly Roger symbol contradicts nationalist values.
"It's unethical, many criticisms and suggestions have been put forward for something better," he said at the parliament complex, Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday.
Herman expressed his concern about the recent phenomenon of raising the One Piece flag. According to him, in the midst of the spirit of independence and efforts to build patriotic actions, the raising of pirate flags is unnecessary.
PKS Party
Politician from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Mardani Ali Sera, stated that the phenomenon of raising the One Piece flag ahead of the Independence Day celebration is just a form of community expression. The Chairman of the DPR Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Body believed that this act does not contain elements of legal violations.
"It's not a violation of the law. Sometimes people act up because of lack of attention," said Mardani in a written statement on Tuesday.
He stated that the country should be grateful for having a critical population. As long as, he said, national unity can still be maintained together.
He also cautioned that the movement of raising the One Piece flag should not lead to anarchistic actions. According to him, this expression could instead become a space for dialogue between the state and its people. "Just enjoy it. Sometimes (people) just need to be approached and listened to," he said.
Therefore, he believed that the government should take an empathetic approach to respond to this public aspiration. The government, he said, must have an open heart to criticism through these fictional symbols
– Novali Panji Nugroho, Daniel Ahmad Fajri, Dinda Shabrina, Dani Aswara, and Antara contributed to the writing of this article.