Local Political Symbolism in Spaces of Crisis: The Reactivation of the Bulan-Bintang Flag at Flood Sites in Aceh
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62033/iasjol.v3i2.216Keywords:
Political Symbolism, Memory Reactivation, Disaster Governance, Symbolic Protest, AcehAbstract
Flood disasters in Aceh have generated a significant sociopolitical phenomenon mark by the reactivation of the Bulan-Bintang flag as an instrument of public articulation amid a humanitarian crisis. This phenomenon challenges the literature on disaster governance and post-conflict studies, which often overlook how latent symbols of resistance are reanimated in response to the state’s functional failure. This article explores spatial, affective, and digital dimensions in order to understand the transformation of historical memory into a contemporary language of protest. The research employs a visual ethnographic approach combined with Peircean semiotic analysis. The findings indicate that the public display of this flag does not constitute an attempt to revive separatism; rather, it represents a form of post-conflict symbolic protest. Through performative practices, local residents reframe collective memory, shifting the meaning of the symbol from “armed resistance” into a “flag of disappointment” in response to the state’s absence in addressing disaster impacts in several areas of Aceh. This study concludes that the resolution of political conflict does not automatically eliminate the potential reactivation of symbols, particularly when the state fails to fulfil its fundamental responsibilities
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