Nation continues to celebrate Independence for second day
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Putting aside the hardship of four years of economic gloom and seemingly never-ending violence in some regions, Indonesians across the country took to the streets again on Sunday to celebrate the nation's 57th independence day.
Concerts, numerous parades and street games continued into a second day on Sunday to mark Indonesia's Aug. 17, 1945 declaration of independence.
Acehnese on Sunday braved the possibility of more bomb blasts when they gathered by the thousands for a parade of people and cars in the province's capital Banda Aceh.
Just one day earlier, dozens were wounded when several bombs exploded in the city and its surrounding areas. Government troops and rebels have been fighting for decades in the disputed province and both blamed each other for the blasts.
Another strife-torn province, Maluku marked the occasion with a ground-breaking ceremony on Saturday to rebuild the governor's office in its capital Ambon.
The once peaceful region has witnessed an outbreak of Muslim- Christian clashes since 1999 which continues to flare up from time to time.
Last April a mob set ablaze the governor's office after four people died in a bomb explosion apparently aimed at disrupting a government-sponsored peace accord between the two warring sides in February.
In Jakarta, thousands flocked to the national monument Monas to enjoy dangdut artists performing late into the night.
A trio of street children made their national debut on stage playing ukuleles and a five-gallon aqua bottle "drum", music one would normally hear in buses only.
Several pop artists, national athletes and child singers were present as was President Megawati Soekarnoputri.
The president went on stage with the other celebrities, waving to the crowd, and patting the shoulder of one of the street children in rhythm with the music. She did not, however, sing along and left soon afterwards. But the rollicking dangdut music that followed kept the fun-starved audience in place.