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South Moluccas, Indonesia

Republik Maluk Selatan

First flag
- History and meaning of the flag
Second flag
Coat of arms

See also:

First flag

History and meaning of the flag

image by Mark Sensen, 30 June 1999

The daerah South Moluccas was part of the Federation of East Indonesian States (Negara Indonesia Timur [NIT], established in December 1946). After it was clear that this state would be absorbed into a unitary Indonesia the independent Republik Maluk Selatan was proclaimed on Ambon on 25 April 1950, after the formation of an independent Republik Indonesia Timur failed.
The flag is vertical blue, white, green, red (1:1:1:6) and has proportions 2:3. It was first hoisted 2 May 1950 at 10.00 AM. Two days later the government gave the explanation of the flag. Blue symbolises the sea and loyalty, white stands for purity, peace and the white beaches, green the vegetation, and red the ancestors and blood of the people.

Source: http://dlm.org/ned/Geschiedenis/RMS.Geschiedenis/ (Dutch only)
Mark Sensen, 21 May 1998

Second flag

image by Mark Sensen, 30 June 1999

"In the Heraldisch Tijdschrift, Jaargang 11 (2005) nr. 2, was an article "The arms of the Republic of the Southern Moluccas and the province of Maluku". This also contains information about the flag of the Southern Moluccas. The flag above [with the vertical stripes] was the flag of the RMS in exile (or perhaps the "warflag".
On 9 May 1950 a flag was hoisted in Ambon: horizontal blue - white - green with a red hoist triangle, containing seven white 5-pointed stars. The stars are supposed to represent the main islands of the Southern Moluccas: Buru, Ceram, Ambon, Wetar, the Tanimbar islands, the Key islands and the Aru islands".
Stefan Lambregts, 15 November 2006

Coat of Arms

image by Eugene Ipavec, 2 January, 2008

The government of the Republic of the South Moluccas officially adopted the coat-of-arms in July 1950. It shows a 'pombo', about to start flying, the wings half opened and in the beak a peace branch, the chest tattooed with a crossed 'parang', 'salawaku' and spear (arrow). The 'pombo' is a white South Moluccan dove. The devise "Mena - Muria" means "in front - behind", representing the indivisible.
Mark Sensen, 29 August 1999, translated from Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung report no. (issue 190 1-2-76)