One Piece Flag

Because a lot of requests for the One Piece flag were sold for a lot of market places. (IST)

Ahead of the 80th Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia, the symbol of the skull with a straw hat from the anime One Piece flew in many places. As written in the media. It is in people's homes. On social media. On the chest of the younger generation.

Not just a trend. The Morning Roger flag seems to be a silent message. As if there is something between the people and the state.

In the era of President Prabowo Subianto, the government's appeal to fly the Red and White was carried out massively. However, many young people chose the fictional flag. This is not about anime. It could be a matter of aspirations that do not find space.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, called it a potential systematic movement that could divide the nation. "Don't clash the Red and White with One Piece. The Red and White are still the main ones," he said.

Deputy Chairperson of the People's Consultative Assembly, Firman Soebagyo, even called it a political provocation. He considered this to be demeaning to the government. But that opinion is not uniform. Not all agree.

Public policy observer from UI, Agus Pambagio, as reported by Indonesian media, said the government was too reactive. That's from cartoon characters. Everyone can install it. Not mass organizations. Not banned groups," he said.

Rissalwan Handy Lubis, a UI social observer, called him an expression of disappointment. "This phenomenon is natural in a democratic country. This is criticism, not separatism," he told VOI.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Budi Gunawan stated that expression may not injure the symbol of the state as long as it does not injure the symbol of the state. On social media, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya said, social criticism is legal, as long as the Red and White remain respected.

This phenomenon did not come suddenly. August is the month of nationalism. In the midst of a formal appeal to fly the Red and White, the people actually raised the fictional flag. The action, it feels like it has meaning. It seems, they express anxiety not by shouting, but by symbol. More subtle. But still hard.

This skull flag comes from the world of fiction. But right now, it seems like he speaks louder than many state speeches. This is not an insult, but it seems to be a signal that there is a widening gap between the people and the rulers.

Summarized from various sources, One Piece was born from Eiichiro Oda's imagination and first appeared in a manga at Shonen Jump magazine in July 1997. It didn't take long for Luffy's adventures to steal the hearts of many readers. In Indonesia, One Piece began to be part of the life of the 90s generation since the early 2000s. Comics, animations, and Luffy's adventure stories became part of the childhood of millions of young Indonesians at that time. They grew up with him.

Now they are adults and voiced. Uploads on social media from motorists, students, students mark that this is not just entertainment. This is a critical space that is safer from speeches. But no less sharp.

And this symbol does not only belong to the people. Vice President Gibran Rakabuming has also worn a pin or used a symbol depicting this pirate logo during the presidential election debate. Then why are people who fly it threatened with legal action?

This pop culture symbol is a form of criticism. But creative criticism. Peaceful. Not chaotic. Not destructive. So, why is it disturbed?

We agree that the Red and White are the main symbols. He is sacred. He inherited the blood and tears of the fighters. Spreading it is an honor. But don't forget, respecting the symbol of the state also means opening up space for the voices of the people.

If the state silences the fictional symbol, then the people will look for other symbols "harder, more extreme, more confrontational". And it can be dangerous.

The state must learn to distinguish criticism from insults. If the fictional flag (like One Piece) is considered the enemy of the state, then what is at stake is not only symbols, but legitimacy. Don't overdo it. It could also be just funny. Cook we are afraid of the fictional flag. Remember. Red and white are irreplaceable. It's in our blood and bones. It's like all Indonesian people agree to that.