National Awakening Day: President calls for dedication, unity

Jakarta (ANTARA) - On National Awakening Day, President Prabowo Subianto called on Indonesians to enliven the national spirit through hard work and contributions to the country.

The president noted that this year's National Awakening Day serves as an opportunity to reaffirm the spirit of national unity in achieving national independence and sovereignty among the Indonesian people.

"As the successor of the struggle, our duty today is to maintain the spirit of Awakening in our hard work, dedication to contribute to the country, and the will to stand on our own feet," Prabowo stated on the presidential Instagram handle @presidenrepublikindonesia, Tuesday.

The president emphasized that the Indonesian nation must rely on its own strength to achieve self-sufficiency in food and energy, advance in science and technology, and uphold national unity and social justice.

"Awake, my Indonesia, for a more just, prosperous, and sovereign Indonesia," the president remarked.

Indonesia's National Awakening Day commemorates the nation's "Awakening" in the early 20th century when people from various parts of the Indonesian archipelago began to develop a national consciousness as "Indonesians," culminating in the proclamation of Indonesia's independence on August 17, 1945.

The day was observed every May 20 to mark the founding of Boedi Oetomo in 1908, an early Indonesian nationalist organization, considered instrumental in invigorating the National Awakening.

For the 117th National Awakening Day this year, the government set its commemoration theme with the tagline "Rise together to realize a strong Indonesia," reflecting the collective spirit of the Indonesian nation to brave challenges and move forward for national progress.