BPIP Must Not Set an Example of Politicized Standardization

SETARA Institute Press Release, 15 August 2024

The controversy surrounding members of the National Flag Hoisting Team (Paskibraka) being required to remove their hijabs has sparked widespread public debate. Claims of coercion have circulated, while the Pancasila Ideology Development Agency (BPIP) stated in an official press release that no member of the Paskibraka had been forced to remove their hijab. BPIP Chair Yudian Wahyudi asserted that, from the outset, the Paskibraka uniform and its attributes had been designed to embody the spirit of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity). Citing the applicable legal framework—Presidential Regulation No. 51 of 2022 on the National Flag Hoisting Team Program, BPIP Regulation No. 3 of 2022, and BPIP Chairperson Decree No. 35 of 2024 concerning Standards for Uniforms, Attributes, and Appearance of the National Flag Hoisting Team—the BPIP Chair claimed that the removal of the hijab was carried out voluntarily through the signing of a stamped declaration letter.

In response to this issue, SETARA Institute issues the following statements.

1. SETARA Institute rejects any policy requiring the uniform removal of the hijab for members of the National Flag Hoisting Team (Paskibraka) and regional flag hoisting teams (Paskibra) during Independence Day ceremonies or other official flag-raising ceremonies. At the same time, SETARA Institute also rejects all forms of uniformity politics, including the compulsory wearing of the hijab in various contexts such as educational institutions, particularly public schools, as such practices constitute a policy of enforced uniformity that is contrary to Indonesia’s diversity.
2. SETARA Institute maintains that the decision to wear or not wear the hijab as an expression of one’s religious belief is a fundamental right that must be protected and respected by both the state and society, as guaranteed by the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, particularly Article 29 paragraph (2), which guarantees every person’s freedom to embrace and practice their religion and beliefs. Therefore, any attempt by one party to compel another to abandon their religious expression—whether through direct coercion or through conditional arrangements that effectively leave no genuine choice—constitutes an intolerant and discriminatory act that violates the Constitution, particularly Article 29 paragraph (2) as well as Article 28I paragraphs (2) and (4).
3. With regard to the controversy over the hijab for Paskibraka members, a careful reading of BPIP Chairperson Decree No. 35 of 2024 on Standards for Uniforms, Attributes, and Appearance of the National Flag Hoisting Team shows that it does not explicitly require female Paskibraka members to remove their hijab. However, the decree includes visual examples of the official uniform depicting female members without the hijab. This represents a form of standardization that fails to accommodate Indonesia’s diversity of religious beliefs regarding the wearing of the hijab.
4. SETARA Institute believes that BPIP should serve as a model for respecting and embracing religious diversity within Indonesian society by accommodating the beliefs of Paskibraka members, including those concerning the wearing of the hijab by female members. As the institution responsible for promoting the national ideology, BPIP should not endorse policies of enforced uniformity. Instead, it should accommodate the fundamental rights and aspirations of female Paskibraka members to wear the hijab, particularly since doing so does not in any way hinder their ability to perform their duties during the 17 August Independence Day Flag Raising Ceremony. Moreover, under the previous regulatory framework when Paskibraka was administered by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (Kemenpora), female Paskibraka members were permitted to wear the hijab.
5. SETARA Institute urges the Government, particularly BPIP, to immediately harmonize the regulations governing the National Flag Hoisting Team—specifically Presidential Regulation No. 51 of 2022, BPIP Regulation No. 3 of 2022, and BPIP Chairperson Decree No. 35 of 2024—so that they are more consistent with Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, and Indonesia’s national motto, “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” (Unity in Diversity).

Media Contact:
Halili Hasan, Executive Director, SETARA Institute