The National Monument or what is abbreviated as Monas or Tugu Monas is a 132 meter (433 foot) high memorial monument located right in the middle of Medan Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta. Monas was established to commemorate the resistance and struggle of the Indonesian people in gaining independence from the colonial government of the Dutch Empire. Construction began on 17 August 1961 under the orders of President Soekarno and was inaugurated until it was opened to the public on 12 July 1975 by President Soeharto. This monument is crowned with a flame covered in gold leaf which symbolizes the burning spirit of struggle of the Indonesian people