The Red and White Flag Flies in Banti Village, Freeport and Locals Celebrate Indonesia’s Independenc
Timika, August 23, 2025 – Against the backdrop of majestic green hills, crisp morning air, and clear skies, three youths from Banti Village marched confidently towards the flagpole at the center of the village field. Hundreds of participants stood in solemn respect as Indonesia’s flag was raised high and proud in the sky of Papua.
The three youths were members of the flag-raising team (Paskibra) for Indonesia’s 80th Independence Day in Banti Village, located about 5 km from PT Freeport Indonesia’s operations in Tembagapura District, Mimika Regency, Central Papua.
Linus Natkime was in charge of hoisting the flag, Mila Magai carried the tray with the red-and-white flag, and Alopinus Natkime unfolded it. Their performance captivated everyone present. Hearts pounding with nerves quickly turned to relief as Alopinus’ hands spread the flag perfectly while Linus’ deft hands raised it in sync with the national anthem Indonesia Raya.
Their steady steps proved that passion and perseverance lead to success. The process never betrays the results. "We practice every day to prepare for the flag-raising ceremony. We are very grateful that during Indonesian Independence Day, all the villagers can see the Red and White flag flying here," said Alopinus, who works in the garden every day.
From early morning, villagers from Banti 1, Banti 2, Opitawak, and Kimberly Village gathered at the Banti field. At exactly 9 a.m. local time, the ceremony began with around 280 participants comprised of villagers, Freeport employees, military and police personnel, healthcare workers, and civil servants from the Mimika local government.
In the ceremony, Tembagapura District Secretary Thomas Bauw acted as the Ceremony Inspector, Deputy Commander of Banti Post Sergeant Junaidin was the Ceremony Commander, and Batuud Koramil Tembagapura Pelda Simbolon was the Ceremony Officer.
Banti Village Flag Raising Team Coach, Sergeant Junaidin of the Yonif 301/Pks Task Force, said the three youths were handpicked by the coaches because they saw a high level of will to become flag-raising team members. "We can say this because when we agreed on a Monday-Saturday training schedule, they came enthusiastically, and if there were any problems, they immediately reported them to us," Junaidin said.
He explained that though none of them had prior marching experience, Mila Magai and her friends were eager to learn. In their initial training, they learned the basics of the Marching Rules (PBB), such as marching on the spot, facing left and right. "Then, after understanding some basic movements, we'll move on to the next stage, which is walking with a firm step and maintaining a uniform rhythm while moving," he said.
Private Auliaurahman, who also trained the flag-raising team in Kampung Banti, said that before starting training, he made an agreement to ensure the youths could practice on time. "We agreed to practice from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. WIT. This practice lasted approximately two weeks before the ceremony. They practiced six times a week, Monday through Saturday," he said.
While training these youths, Junaidin admitted he was impressed by their sincerity, perseverance, and enthusiasm for training. "As a coach, I'm very proud to be able to train them, and they're so receptive to what we've taught them. One of them was late, apparently because he had to help his parents with work. But after finishing, he came to practice with his friends. It was extraordinary," he said.
Harmony in Tembagapura
Nathan Kum, Senior Vice President of Community Development at PT Freeport Indonesia, said that every year Freeport joins the people of Banti to celebrate Indonesia’s independence.
Various activities were held in early August, including a village clean up, gate painting, the display of Indonesian flags throughout the village, competitions for children and adults, basic necessities bazaar, and finally, a flag-raising ceremony to commemorate Indonesia's 80th anniversary of independence. This ceremony was attended by residents of Banti Village and surrounding villages.
"This Indonesian Independence Day ceremony strengthens nationalism, togetherness, and demonstrates our strength in living harmoniously in diversity," said Nathan. Following the flag-raising ceremony, the festivities continued with the symbolic cutting of the tumpeng (rice cone) followed by a communal meal, prize distribution, and door prizes. The celebration concluded with a folk festival featuring performances by the Banti youth band and PTFI employees, as well as the Yosim Pancar (Yospan) dance performed by employees and healthcare workers at Waa Banti Hospital.
Nathan stated that through PTFI's collaboration with district officials, the Tembagapura Police, and the Tembagapura Military District Commander, the festivities commemorating the 80th Indonesian Independence Day at PTFI ran smoothly. Employees collaborated with various PTFI work divisions, teaching staff, healthcare workers, the Papuan Engineer community, the Tergelar Task Force, and the Banti community.
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