Overview

• East Java authorities have seized Jolly Roger flags from activists’ displays under orders to uphold the sanctity of the national banner
• Plain-clothes police in Central Java raided printing businesses this week to halt production of the One Piece pirate emblem
• Officials, including President Prabowo Subianto’s office and Security Minister Budi Gunawan, warn that flying the flag alongside the red-and-white could breach laws carrying prison terms or hefty fines
• Activists continue to display the emblem as a peaceful expression of dissent, citing constitutional protections for freedom of speech
• The skull-and-crossbones design has gone viral through murals, social media shares and surging custom flag orders as a symbol of protest against corruption, unemployment and democratic backsliding