The flag of Indonesia was adopted on August 17, 1945, when Indonesia gained independence from the Netherlands. The flag was first hoisted for the Independence Day celebrations on that day, and has remained the same design throughout Indonesian history. The colors red and white have been used in Indonesia since at least the thirteenth century, dating back to the Majapahit Empire. The colors are commonly used by countries all around the region because of this history.
Some versions of the Indonesian flag history say that the flag was derived from the Dutch flag, which had flown in Indonesia when the island nation was under the rule of the Netherlands. To signify their new-found independence, Indonesians took the Dutch flags and removed the blue, creating the red and white flag used today