81st Independence Day: President Prabowo Calls for Prayers for Disaster-Affected Residents
The commemoration of the 81st Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Monday (17/8/2026), carried a profound message of humanitarian solidarity. President Prabowo Subianto gave particular attention to communities currently facing natural disasters in various parts of the country.
During the solemn ceremony, President Prabowo asked all participants to pause before beginning the moment of silence. In addition to honouring the services of the nation’s heroes, the Head of State invited all attendees to offer prayers for residents affected by disasters, particularly in Sumatra and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
“Let us observe a moment of silence to remember the souls and services of the nation’s independence heroes, who sacrificed life and limb for the independence and honour of the Indonesian nation. And let us also pray for our brothers and sisters affected by natural disasters in Sumatra, NTT, and other parts of Indonesia,” said President Prabowo.
The atmosphere of this year’s independence celebration was considered different due to the integration of state ceremony with concrete disaster response efforts. The government decided to divide the duties of ministers and state officials so that not all of them were concentrated at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta.
A number of senior state officials were deployed directly to affected regions, especially in NTT, which was recently struck by an earthquake. This step was taken to ensure the state’s presence among communities experiencing hardship, while directly overseeing the response efforts on the ground.
Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Pratikno explained that this division of duties was an instruction so that the spirit of independence could be felt evenly, including by residents who are grieving due to disasters. Several ministers were scheduled to lead ceremonies in remote areas and disaster locations.
“We will divide duties in the field and tomorrow we will hold ceremonies not in Jakarta, but we will participate in independence day ceremonies in various regions,” said Pratikno.
This step is expected to accelerate coordination between central and regional governments during the emergency response and post-disaster recovery periods, in line with the spirit of unity on Indonesia’s 81st independence anniversary.