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Indonesia: Naval Jack

2:3 image by Mark Sensen, 21 May 1998

Naval Jack

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Naval Jack

The Indonesian jack is a simple flag with nine alternating red and white stripes. Why nine red and white stripes? Haven't got a clue; however, many jacks are based on earlier versions of a national flag (e.g. the Dutch jack) so I'm wondering if this one isn't perhaps rooted in Indonesian history. Could it be an independence-movement flag, for instance? Anybody know?
Tom Gregg, 29 January 1997

According to Barraclough and Crampton [Flags of the World, 1978] it was the flag of the Majapahit empire.
Also the VOC (Dutch East Indies Company) used flags red-white-blue with 6, 9, 12. etc. stripes.
Mark Sensen, 31 January 1997

The [national] flag of Indonesia is based on the flag of the Majapahit Empire on Java at the end of the 13^th century. This had nine stripes red and white, and is nowadays used as jack.
Mark Sensen, 21 May 1998