Aceh seeks Kemendagri ruling on Bulan Bintang flag status
The move follows clashes at Masjid Raya Baiturrahman, while Forkopimda urged security forces and crowds to exercise restraint.
The Aceh provincial government and the Aceh DPR agreed to consult the Ministry of Home Affairs to seek legal certainty over the Bulan Bintang flag after unrest in Banda Aceh on Saturday (15/8). The agreement was reached in a Forkopimda Aceh meeting attended by, among others, Aceh Deputy Governor, DPRA Chairman Zulfadli, Pangdam Iskandar Muda, Kapolda Aceh, and the Head of the Aceh High Prosecutor's Office. The unrest broke out during the commemoration of the 21st anniversary of Aceh Peace Day in the Masjid Raya Baiturrahman area, when crowds raised the Bulan Bintang flag, which is associated with the Gerakan Aceh Merdeka flag. Aceh Qanun No. 3 of 2013 regulates the flag as the Aceh flag, but its implementation has remained disputed by the central government since the Kemendagri review in 2013.