Prabowo reminds Indonesian nation must be strong to avoid being colonised

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto, while attending the thanksgiving reception for the 100th anniversary of Pondok Pesantren Darussalam Gontor in Ponorogo, East Java, on Saturday, reminded the importance of the Indonesian nation becoming strong so as not to be colonised by other nations again.

“Because a nation that is not strong will be trampled upon by other nations,” said Prabowo, as quoted from an official broadcast by the Presidential Secretariat in Jakarta.

Prabowo reminded the public to constantly learn from the dark history of the past, particularly Indonesia’s long experience of being under the grip of colonialism.

According to the President, the nation’s predecessors sacrificed their lives and bodies to fight against colonialism, and therefore, that struggle must serve as a valuable lesson for future generations.

“We must be brave enough to acknowledge it and we must learn from it. And we must be determined: never, ever shall we be colonised again by anyone. We must be strong,” he stated.

The President conveyed that national strength serves to maintain sovereignty while enabling Indonesia to extend humanitarian aid to other nations.

“Because with strength, if we are strong, we can help our brothers and sisters who are oppressed and downtrodden by other nations,” said Prabowo.

In addition to emphasising strength, Prabowo also urged the younger generation to be brave enough to honestly face their own weaknesses and shortcomings to trigger national improvement and development.

This step of self-evaluation was deemed crucial so that all elements of the nation can continue to rectify internal deficiencies objectively.

“We must be honest, not just to others, but we must be honest with ourselves,” said Prabowo.