VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

August is a sacred month for the Indonesian people. Seventy-four years ago, precisely on August 17, 1945, the Indonesian people declared their independence, after more than 350 years of colonialism by the Dutch. The independence that has been achieved by the warriors and founders of the nation is certainly not just empty sentences without meaning. In the achieved independence, there is a long history full of endless struggle. History records that Indonesian independence was not easily obtained, especially as a gift. Warriors and founders of the nation were willing to sacrifice their lives and property to achieve independence, free from the occupation of other nations.Independence becomes one of the moments that make all Indonesian people united. Even for hundreds of years, the Indonesian people fought for independence. However, these efforts were less successful because the struggle was regional at the time. As a consequence, the Indonesian people were not united. After the establishment of the organization 'Boedi Oetomo' in 1908 and the holding of the Second Youth Congress which produced the 'Youth Pledge' in 1928, the Indonesian people began to understand the meaning of unity in a bid to gain independence.Now, after 74 years of Indonesian independence, unity and integrity of the nation is absolutely mandatory, especially after the simultaneous general elections in April 2019. At that time, the Indonesian people seemed to be divided into two camps, due to differences in the choice of prospective national leaders. Now, it is the time for the Indonesian people to re-establish the unity. As President Joko Widodo said shortly before the commencement of the Republic of Indonesia's Independence Day Commemoration Ceremony at the State Palace in Jakarta on Saturday (August 17), the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) is above everything. He advised not to sacrifice the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, only because of differences in the choice of leaders such as regents, mayors, governors, and presidents.Hopefully in the 74th anniversary of Indonesian Independence, the Indonesian people will increasingly understand the meaning of unity in a bid to achieve the targeted goal towards ‘Advanced Indonesia’. In the past, the predecessors of the Indonesian nation fought for independence. Now, the Indonesian nation struggles to be able to maintain and fill independence with concrete work towards ‘Advanced Indonesia’.