Indonesia's House Speaker calls for subdued Independence Day amid earthquake tragedy

Indonesia's House Speaker calls for subdued Independence Day amid earthquake tragedy

Indonesia's House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani called on citizens to observe the nation's 81st Independence Day with restrained celebrations on Monday, following a powerful earthquake that struck East Nusa Tenggara just two days before the national holiday commemorating independence from Dutch colonial rule in 1945.

The magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit at 5:58 a.m. Central Indonesian Time on Saturday, August 15, with its epicenter located 30 kilometers northeast of Mbay in Nagekeo Regency at a depth of 10 kilometers. The quake triggered tsunami warnings across four provinces—East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, and Southeast Sulawesi—with the highest wave reaching 0.94 meters at Ende, NTT.

"On this Independence Day, the Indonesian nation is mourning following the earthquake that has just struck NTT," Maharani said in Jakarta on Monday. She called on Indonesians to pray for disaster victims and expressed hope that recovery efforts could begin swiftly in affected areas.

More than 230 aftershocks rattled the region throughout Saturday, with the strongest measuring magnitude 6.2, underscoring the continued seismic danger facing communities. The East Nusa Tenggara governor declared a 14-day emergency period on August 16 in response to the disaster.

At the Independence Day ceremony held under the national theme "A Sovereign, Just and Prosperous Indonesia," Maharani wore a modern white kebaya paired with a red traditional cloth and a black woven shawl from NTT as a symbol of mourning. "A modern kebaya. This woven shawl is from NTT," she explained.

The House Speaker, who was reelected for the 2024-2029 term representing the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, sat alongside People's Consultative Assembly Chairman Ahmad Muzani and Regional Representatives Council Chairman Sultan Bachtiar Najamudin, with their podium positioned to the right of President Prabowo Subianto's platform.

Government pledges swift recovery

The Indonesian government committed to accelerating emergency response and recovery efforts following the disaster. Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Pratikno emphasized the administration's dedication on the sidelines of the Independence Day ceremony at Motang Rua Field in Ruteng, Manggarai Regency.

"Since the first day of the disaster, we have been in NTT to assess the situation on the ground and discuss ways to accelerate the recovery," Pratikno said, noting that the presence of ministers and government officials in the affected region demonstrated the administration's commitment to supporting communities.

The earthquake struck a particularly vulnerable area. East Nusa Tenggara is flanked by two earthquake zones—a subduction zone to the south and a back arc thrust to the north—making the province especially susceptible to seismic activity. Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, faces regular earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its position along major tectonic plate boundaries.

President Prabowo Subianto, who took office in October 2024 and is marking his first Independence Day as head of state, has made the earthquake response a priority for his administration, signaling the government's commitment to disaster relief and recovery as the nation balances commemoration with compassion for those affected by the tragedy.