Indonesia 69th Independence Day

Posted on Aug 17, 2014

Indonesia celebrates Independence Day.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice-President Boediono led Indonesia’s 69th Independence Day celebrations in Jakarta on Sunday (Aug 17).

For Dr Yudhoyono, the celebrations hold a special sentimental meaning. It was Dr Yudhoyono’s last time leading the Independence Day celebrations after a decade in office. The outgoing president has slightly over two months before the end of his term in office.

The celebrations at Istana Negara had the usual festive routine – the colour guard parade, the 17-canon salute and the hoisting of the national flag by a group of young honour guards. The celebrations came two days after Dr Yudhoyono delivered a final State of the Nation address in Parliament.

Besides his presidential duties, Dr Yudhoyono is also known as an author and a music composer. As part of the annual Independence Day celebration tradition, there was a choir singing patriotic songs, one of which was composed by the president himself. And as a tribute to the president, the music conductor included songs from Dr Yudhoyono’s album in his playlist.

Attendees of the celebrations at the palace come from all walks of life and from all corners of the Indonesian archipelago. For them, the president’s leadership has been marked by good and bad moments.

“The president strongly encourages the Corruption Eradication Commission in its efforts to combat graft. That’s very important. He doesn’t hesitate in approving an arrest and doesn’t seem to give special preference,” said an attendee. But another attendee said: “I see that the law has not been enforced fairly. It seems that the law is only imposed on the ordinary citizens and it rarely applies to those in the elite.”

President Yudhoyono’s term in office has seen numerous policy reforms that boosted Indonesia’s economic growth and infrastructure development as well as in combating terrorism. However his term has also been tarnished by a string of corruption cases implicating top-level leaders in his own Democrat party and a rise in the number of religious intolerance cases against minority religious groups.

Devianti Faridz / channelnewsasia.com

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Upacara Peringatan HUT RI ke 69 di Istana Negara

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Competitions That Color Indonesia’s Independence Day.

August 17 is an exciting day for Indonesians, not just because it’s the day that marks Indonesia’s independence, but also because it’s filled with fun competitions. Anticipated by kids big and small, the contests include prizes, laughter and sometimes a few scrapes and scuffs. Which one will you be joining?

Kerupuk Eating Competition

Lomba makan kerupuk, or the cracker eating contest, is one of the most popular Independence Day competitions. It’s also far from easy. Standing in a line with their hands tied behind their backs, participants race to eat huge crackers that dangle from strings just above mouth level. The challenge comes when participants start chomping since every time they bite their crackers the string will swing. Whichever participant finishes eating his or her shakey, hanging cracker fastest will be named the winner.

Palm Tree Climbing

Climbing a tree is one thing; now try greasing the trunk and see how easy it is. In this competition, the trunk of the palm tree is slathered in motor oil to add to the challenge. At the top of each tree sits a bamboo ring from which prizes hang. Participants race to reach the top and pick the prizes they fancy. In times past, prizes were simple and the competition was mostly about the hilarity of watching men (and yes, it’s almost always men) try to scramble up the slippery trunk. Now, prizes include cash and even bicycles.

Marble and Spoon Race

In this classic competition, each participant is given a steel spoon, whose handle they clasp between their teeth, and a marble, which is placed in the spoon’s cup. Then, at the signal, they move as fast as they can toward a finish line. While the distance isn’t far, the challenge is in keeping the marble in the spoon – and that means holding it stead while attempting to sprint (in the end it’s much more like a shuffle). In another version of the competition, participants make several trips between the start and the finish, transporting as many marbles as they can in the allotted time.

Football Cone

What makes this competition different from a regular football match is that each player is required to cover his or her face with a cone, making it far harder to see the ball. A bit like watching someone stumble in the dark, this contest is always amusing to watch because it can take participants quite a lot of time and effort to kick the ball and reach the goal.

Sack Run

This is, well, exactly as it sounds. Each participant gets a waist-high gunny sack that they step inside. Then they race, in whatever way they can, to reach the finish line. This competition is famous in Indonesia for both kids and adults. People who watch the game usually cheer along.

Source: Anita Rachman / blog.wsj