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Bhinneka Tunggal Ika is the official national motto of Indonesia. The phrase is Old Javanese translated as “Unity in Diversity“. It is inscribed in the Indonesian national symbol, Garuda Pancasila (written on the scroll gripped by the Garuda’s claws), and is mentioned specifically in article 36A of the Constitution of Indonesia.
It is a quotation from an Old Javanese poem Kakawin Sutasoma, written by Mpu Tantular during the reign of the Majapahit empire sometime in the 14th century. This poem is notable as it promotes tolerance between Hindus (especially Shivaites) and Buddhists. Since then, Indonesia has become the largest populated Muslim country in the world.
Caption photo : Henrietta Holsman Fore, Asia Society Co-Chair and Chairman and former Head of USAID Marty Natalegwa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Indonesia Jean-Christophe Bas photo Elsa Ruiz Asia Society, September 19 2013
