Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Commemoration of the 92nd Anniversary of Youth Pledge Day and the Inauguration of West Papua TVRI Station, Wednesday, 28 October 2020
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.
Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
Peace and prosperity be upon us all,
Om Swastiastu,
Namo Buddhaya,
Greetings of virtue.
Distinguished Ministers of the Indonesian Onward Cabinet, Governors,
Indonesian Youth that I am proud of,
Honorable Guests.
Today, we are commemorating a very historic event. Ninety-two years ago, when youth from all over the archipelago regardless of their ethnicities, religions, and local languages pledged to acknowledge one Indonesia: one motherland, one nation, and one language. Now, 92 years on, the spirit of the Youth Pledge must continue to flare.
In the mainstream of globalization, fierce competition is a common occurrence between countries as well as individuals. It is not a rare sight for the competition to end up as a means to defeat each other, to destroy each other. It becomes negative energy that harms us all. The Youth Pledge actually brings positive, unifying energy. Do not let competition and differences make us neglect our common problems, common interests, or common goals. We can solve those issues and achieve our common goals through unity and collective work.
Distinguished guests,
Unity and collective work are the keys to achieving an advanced Indonesia. We must continue to make efforts to maintain unity. Becoming Indonesian means it is not enough just to be part of Indonesia’s territory. We must work together to foster Indonesia. Indonesia and all aspects accompanying it must always be maintained with a spirit of solidarity and a sense of brotherhood. We must help each other in a spirit of solidarity. There is no Java, no Sumatra, no Sulawesi, no Papua. There are only fellow Indonesian compatriots. We must continue to strive for unity by respecting differences, promoting tolerance, and safeguarding the integrity and sovereignty of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.
To personify one Indonesia, we must also work together to build a just and equitable Indonesia. To materialize an Indonesia-centric development is through development from the periphery, from the villages, from the frontier islands to the border areas. We also build infrastructure that facilitates interregional, inter-island connectivity to unite Indonesia.
With equitable and just developments, the people of Papua, the people of Aceh, and the people of Indonesia in various regions feel that they are part of Indonesia, feel that they own Indonesia, and contribute to advancing Indonesia.
One of the means of knowing the face of Indonesia and various developments that have occurred in the country and the world is through television. We have state-owned television station TVRI, Televisi Republik Indonesia. Through TVRI, people in Java, Sumatra, and so on can learn what is happening in Papua. Conversely, our brothers and sisters in Papua can learn what is happening in various parts of the country.
To emphasize the serious commitment to maintaining unity and equitable access to information, on the occasion of the 92nd Anniversary of Youth Pledge, West Papua TVRI Station as the 30th TVRI station will soon be inaugurated to serve the Papuan people, providing various quality information, so that the Papuan people will receive the same information as people in other parts of Indonesia.
Finally, by saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim, I hereby inaugurate the TVRI station in West Papua. Keep up the good work to become the media that unites the nation.
That concludes my remarks.
I thank you.
Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
Translated by Fairuzzamani Inayatillah
Reviewed by Muhardi