PLBN Skouw Celebrates Independence Day, Supports Border as Gateway of Sovereignty
The Skouw Cross-Border Post (PLBN) held a ceremony to commemorate the 81st Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia at the PLBN Skouw parade ground in Jayapura City, Papua. The event began with a cultural procession of participants heading to the PLBN Skouw parade ground, located in front of the Animal, Fish and Plant Quarantine Office. After all participants arrived, the event continued with the ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of Indonesian independence.
Deputy for Border Area Potential Management at the National Border Management Agency (BNPP), Edfrie R. Maith, said that commemorating independence in border areas carries special meaning because it serves as a tangible space for presenting state sovereignty. “At the border, the meaning of sovereignty becomes real. This is where the Red and White flies on the front line of the country. This is where Indonesians live, work, raise families, and become an important part of the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia,” Maith said in a statement on Monday (17/8/2026). He made the remarks while reading the address of the Minister of Home Affairs and Chair of the BNPP, Muhammad Tito Karnavian.
Maith stressed that independence must be realised through a state presence capable of protecting, serving and improving the welfare of communities up to border areas. In this context, cross-border posts have a strategic function that is not limited to inspecting the movement of people and goods. According to him, cross-border posts need to continue to be developed as state gateways that simultaneously safeguard sovereignty, improve service quality, strengthen trade and logistics, and support economic growth for communities in border areas. “Cross-border posts must move up a class. They must not stop at being places for checking the entry and exit of people and goods. They must become Indonesia’s state gateways,” Maith asserted.
At the 81st Independence Day commemoration, Maith served as Inspector of Ceremony wearing traditional Papuan attire consisting of a sireu and crown. Second Inspector Joko Ismoyo served as Ceremony Commander. The series of events at PLBN Skouw was attended by various parties active in the border area, including the Indonesian National Armed Forces and National Police, cross-border agencies, local government, educational institutions, the community, and economic actors in the Skouw area. The presence of these various elements reflected shared involvement in commemorating independence while maintaining the strategic role of the border area.
The event also involved students from senior high schools and vocational schools across Jayapura City who are members of the Heritage Flag Hoisting Troop (Paskibraka), drawn from SMA Negeri 6 Skouw and SMK Negeri 7 Agribusiness and Agrotechnology of Jayapura City. After the ceremony, the event continued with the symbolic presentation of certificates of appreciation to Paskibraka members and the ceremony commander. The awards were presented by Edfrie R. Maith as a form of appreciation for their dedication and contribution in supporting the smooth running of the 81st Independence Day ceremony at PLBN Skouw.
The 81st Independence Day commemoration at PLBN Skouw was not merely a ceremonial agenda, but also a reminder that the spirit of independence reaches Indonesia’s outermost territories. From the Skouw border area, the Red and White continues to fly as a symbol of the presence and sovereignty of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.