Jakarta. The International Committee of the Red Cross, or ICRC, launched a photo exhibition to commemorate 70 years of being in Indonesia, highlighting the country's historical moments with the Red Cross, at Atrium Setiabudi in Jakarta on Tuesday (20/09).

The photo exhibition was attended by several dignitaries including Christoph Sutter, the head of the regional delegation to Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the ICRC; Yvonne Baumann, the Swiss ambassador to Indonesia; and Ritola Tasmaya, secretary general of the Indonesian Red Cross Society (PMI), Ritola Tasmaya.

“Since the independence of Indonesia 71 years ago, the ICRC has existed to answer and face challenges [threatening humanity] which involve victims of disasters and wars [...] with help from the Indonesian Red Cross and government,” Sutter said.

He added that the exhibition aims to show that Indonesia is an example of a culturally diverse country where people are religiously tolerant, who do not hold on to “old scars.”

The photo exhibition is divided into seven important periods defining the country's history.

The first period of 1942 to 1949, displayed photographs from World War II. In the second period from 1950 to 1964, pictures of Red Cross' efforts to repatriate Dutch nationals from Indonesia are displayed.

The third section featured photos from 1965 to 1974 of the failed coup attempt by the Indonesian Communist Party as well as the massacres in Pontianak and Singkawang. Pictures from 1975 to 1989 showed the repatriation of Portuguese from Timor Leste, formerly known as East Timor and the migration of refugees to Indonesia.

The exhibition also captured moments of the ICRC president's first visit to Indonesia and the launch of many social development programs from 1990 to 2003. The exhibition also displayed photos from 2004 to 2005 of the tsunami disaster which killed more than 200,000 people.

In the final period, the photo exhibition showed ICRC's efforts in Indonesia from 2006 to date.

The photo exhibition will remain open until Sept. 23.