Independence Day
August 17
Indonesian holiday
A betjak [(beh]{.smallcaps} chahk) is a kind of taxi for one or two
passengers. It looks like a bicycle with three wheels. The driver pedals
from the rear.
You can see many betjaks in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia.
Jakarta is on the island of Java, in Southeast Asia. Java is only one of
more than thirteen thousand islands that make up the nation of
Indonesia.
For many years, the Dutch ruled most of the islands of Indonesia. But on
August 17, 1945, Indonesia declared its independence. This was also the
day the red and white flag became the official flag of the country.
In the city of Jakarta, flags fly everywhere on Independence Day—even
on betjaks. As the drivers pedal through the busy streets, clanging
their bells as they go, the red and white flag of Indonesia flaps in the
breeze.
