Prabowo recalls founders' sentiment: Indonesia once treated worse than dogs by colonizers

In a powerful address to the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), President Prabowo Subianto evoked the historical indignity suffered by the nation, stating that Indonesia's founders perceived the country as having been treated with a level of disrespect even lower than that afforded to dogs by colonial powers. This sentiment underscores a deep-seated national memory of subjugation and a fierce determination to uphold national dignity.

President Prabowo emphasized that the economic strategies currently guiding Indonesia were not the product of chance but the deliberate and well-considered plans of the nation's founding figures. He rejected any notion that these leaders were naive or unprepared, highlighting their foresight and strategic acumen in laying the groundwork for the nation's future prosperity and sovereignty.

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the nation's founders felt the nation was once treated with extreme disrespect by colonizers, even lower than dogs.

This address, delivered during a plenary session, serves as a potent reminder of Indonesia's journey from colonial oppression to self-determination. From an Indonesian perspective, Prabowo's words resonate with a national narrative of resilience and a commitment to never again allow the nation to be diminished. The emphasis on the founders' wisdom and the nation's historical mistreatment is a common theme in Indonesian political discourse, aiming to galvanize national pride and reinforce the importance of economic independence and self-reliance.

While international observers might focus on the economic policies themselves, the Indonesian perspective prioritizes the historical context and the symbolic weight of these pronouncements. Prabowo's invocation of past humiliations is not merely rhetoric; it is a call to remember the struggles that forged the nation and a solemn vow to honor the legacy of the founders by safeguarding Indonesia's dignity and charting its own course, free from external condescension.

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The founders of the nation were not naive or simple people.