Doha: Indonesian Embassy in Qatar celebrated the 76th Independence Day of the country on August 17 at the Embassy’s premises in Onaizah, Doha, Qatar.
The flag hoisting ceremony, held with strict Covid-19 precautionary measures, was attended by the embassy’s staff and representative of the Indonesian community.
This was then followed by the tumpeng cutting (Tumpeng is an Indonesian cone-shaped rice dish with side dishes of vegetables) and a courteous event. Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, Ridwan Hassan accompanied by his spouse, Lita Kadartin Hassan led the ceremonial procession.
Ambassador Hassan said that the momentum of Independence Day should be seen as a reminder for all Indonesians on the need to keep the nation’s diversity and tolerance. One of the most diverse countries in the world, it is one of the largest archipelagic countries in the world which consisted of thousand islands, a hundred ethnicity and local languages as well as various religions.
He stated, “More importantly, Indonesia is built on and by various groups ranging from political belief, ethnicity, religion and so on. All these groups have their own contribution in maintaining, defending and protecting independence. Therefore, we have no room for division and conflicts. Everyone should embrace our diversity”
Currently, there are around 17,000 Indonesian nationals living and working in Qatar in various sectors ranging from the professional sector such as oil and gas, education, healthcare, hospitality and so on, to the domestic sector”.
Indonesian citizens in Qatar has also been known for their activeness and creativity in social and community activities. “The activeness of Indonesian diaspora in Qatar is a good asset for Indonesian diplomacy here, particularly in enhancing people-to-people contact between the two countries.
Agri Sumara, one of the community representatives who attended the flag hoisting ceremony said that the commemoration of Independence Day should be used not only to reflect but also to put on reality the vision of the country. “76 years for a nation may not be too old, but it is surely not young too. As a nation, we should be more mature to take a step ahead.”
While for Amy Smith, one of the Indonesian young diasporas in Qatar, Independence Day has always had special meaning for her. Born to a British father and Indonesian mother, Amy has never lost his pride in being Indonesian. “I love Indonesia and I feel honoured to join the celebration here at the embassy”, said Amy, who is also a participant at the Embassy’s program of Indonesian Language for Us (BIKTA).
Apart from the flag hoisting, the Indonesian Embassy held series of events remotely in conjunction with the Independence Day commemoration. However, few events such as fun race individual trial (fun bike competition), underwater flag hoisting and Badminton competition titled Ambassador Cup will be conducted physically, on 21 and 28 August consecutively.
