THE VETERANS LEGION OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA (LVRI)

BACKGROUND.       The Veterans Legion of the Republic of Indonesia (LVRI) was founded on 2nd January, 1957 as a result of the National Veterans General Assembly. This General Assembly was convened in Jakarta on 22nd December, 1956 until 2nd January, 1957. There were 2,300 delegates present with full mandates from their respective organizations throughout the country. They represented more than a million Veterans, who actively took part in the national revolution (1945 - 1949).  Since that momentous event, all organizations of ex-warriors, ex-prisoners of war, ex-guerillas, ex-partisans and armed peoples’ organizations of Veterans which existed before, decided to dissolve their respective organizations to form one organization of Veterans, the "LEGIUN VETERAN REPUBLIK INDONESIA" (the Veterans Legion of the Republic of Indonesia). Today, the "LEGIUN VETERAN REPUBLIK INDONESIA" is the only organization of Veterans in Indonesia accepted by the Veterans community as well as the Government of the Republic of Indonesia. The LVRI is legalized by a National Veterans Act and the Statutes and By-Laws by Presidential Decree.

HONORARY MARK AND CLASSIFICATION OF VETERANS. All Veterans who have been legalized shall receive the honorary mark "Veteran of the Republic of Indonesia" and shall be decorated with medals of honour. All of them have the same rights and obligations as the Veterans of the Republic of Indonesia. The difference lies in the period of the armed struggle in which they have participated, namely:

* Veterans who fought in the period from 1945 through 1949 are called "Veteran Pejuang Kemerdekaan Republik Indonesia" (Freedom Fighters Veterans); 

** Veterans who fought in action afterwards are called "Veteran Pembela Kemerdekaan Republik Indonesia" (the Guardians of Indonesian Independence Veterans);

*** Veterans who served under the UN’s Peace-Keeping Forces are called “Veteran Perdamaian Republik Indonesia” (the Peace-Keeping force Veterans), and “Veteran Anumerta Republik Indonesia” (the Posthumous Veterans – namely  Posthumous Freedom Fighters Veterans ;  Posthumous  Guardians  of  Independence Veterans; and Posthumous Peace-Keeping Force Veterans)

ACT OF THE VETERANS OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA.  It is deemed necessary to honour those who have served actively, on voluntary basis, within military forces in struggle for freedom of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, and those who have actively taken part in the war to defend the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia.    From this reason, matters concerning the Veterans of the Republic of Indonesia are regulated in National Veterans Act No.15 of the year 2012.    This Act is a revision of the previous Veterans Act. No.75 of the year 1957, Act No.15 of the year 1965 and Act No 7 of the year 1967.

You can find more information on the LVRI here.