One Thousand of Indonesian National Flags Raised on Mount Merapi

Sleman, Yogyakarta (Antara) - As many as 1,000 Indonesian National Flags were raised on Saturday on the slope of Mount Merapi, in Kaliadem Hamlet, Kepuharjo Village, Cangkringan Subdistrict, Sleman District of Yogyakarta to commemorate the 69th Indonesian Independence Day. The flag raising was sponsored by the organization "Seribu Cinta Untuk Indonesia", or A Thousand Loves for Indonesia. "This act was done to foster our love of the Motherland," the group's field coordinator, Markus, said. They raised the national flags directly on top of the safe bunker, which was buried during the 2006 and 2010 eruptions. Equipped with bamboo sticks to be used as flagpoles, some volunteers gathered in the area that is still covered from the massive volcanic eruptions from Mount Merapi. "This is a 1,000 Red and White Flags Act for Mount Merapi's slope," Markus said. "This act was also aimed to restore tourism on Mount Merapi's slope after the 2010 eruption," he said. During the Indonesian Independence Day, on Sunday at 10:00 am local time, the group, along with volunteers and local residents, will conduct an Independence Day ceremony. The group had sponsored similar activities along the southern coast of Java. (*) reporting by Victorianus Sat Pranyoto