Responding to the recent crackdown against people flying Japanese anime One Piece flag as a symbol of defiance and criticism of the Indonesian government, Amnesty International Indonesia's executive director Usman Hamid said:
"The recent raids targeting people raising One Piece flags, used by many Indonesians to express criticism of the government ahead of Independence Day on 17 August, are a flagrant violation of the right to freedom of expression.
"Raising an anime flag is not 'treason' or 'propaganda to disunite the country', as suggested by government officials.
"The alleged incident on Sulawesi Island of a military officer hitting a man who put a One Piece flag on his car must be effectively investigated.
"This One Piece crackdown to silence critics must end, and the government must allow people to freely express their opinion. Authorities, including lawmakers, must stop harassing people by threatening them with jail terms for 'disrespecting the national flag' and 'treason' if they raise One Piece flags.
"The Indonesian government should stop repressing freedom of expression and instead focus on the root causes of public dissatisfaction that have prompted people to fly the One Piece flag."
Background
According to media reports, several people have been targeted by Indonesian authorities for raising the Jolly Roger pirate flag from the Japanese anime One Piece ahead of the country's 80th Independence Day on 17 August 2025.
As a symbol of defiance and anger against the government, Indonesians have raised One Piece flags at home, on trucks, on cars and on social media, instead of Indonesia's national flag, which is normally flown to mark Independence Day.
Officials have described the phenomenon as a "disrespect" to the sanctity of Independence Day and the National Flag of Indonesia, prompting them to threaten people with jail terms if they follow the trend. One minister said the act could be considered treason.
The police and military subsequently launched raids in several places in Indonesia, confiscating One Piece flags from houses and cars and removing One Piece murals.
Some people were questioned following raids, but nobody has been criminally charged to date.
On Thursday, media outlets reported that a military official spotted and raided a car with a One Piece flag in Bantaeng, South Sulawesi. He confiscated the anime flag from the driver before allegedly hitting him following a heated argument. The driver's wife and child were next to him in the car when the incident took place.
At the Medan City Military Court in North Sumatra province, an activist unfurling a One Piece flag was thrown out of the courtroom and beaten by military personnel on Thursday after being dissatisfied with the verdict of the panel of judges who were trying the case of two soldiers accused of murdering a student.
Earlier, on 2 August, a resident of Tuban City, East Java Province, was approached by police and soldiers a day after posting a photo on WhatsApp of children saluting a One Piece flag he had placed next to his house. The officers confiscated the flag and ensured the photo was deleted from both his phone and his WhatsApp account.
In addition to seizing Jolly Roger flags, police and soldiers in cities across Central and East Java have also ordered the removal of One Piece murals painted on roads and public walls.
On Friday (1 August), Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Budi Gunawan stated that raising the One Piece flag ahead of Independence Day constitutes a criminal offence because it is deemed to insult the honour of the national Red and White flag. He added that the government would take legal action, although without providing details. Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Sufmi Dasco Ahmad claimed the flag display was an attempt to divide national unity.
On Sunday (3 August), Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai said the state could ban the raising of the One Piece flag on the grounds that it violates the law and constitutes an act of treason.
One Piece fans argue that the current trend of raising the Jolly Roger flag is a form of public expression of dissatisfaction with and criticism of social conditions and the government. In the One Piece anime, the Jolly Roger is seen as a symbol of resistance against absolute power and oppression. However, some said they put up the flag simply because they were following a trend circulating on social media.