Hard-line groups should restrain from conducting violent raids during Ramadhan on food stalls, pubs and bars, as the police pledged on Friday to respond firmly to any acts of violence.

'€œIt is illegal for any group to take the law into its own hands '€” and that includes conducting raids. The National Police will take stern action against violations of this nature,'€ said National Police Gen. Sutarman.

A number of hard-line groups, including the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), often raid entertainment spots and food stalls during the holy month.

The National Police will deploy 137,795 personnel starting from before the start of Ramadhan, until early August.

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Dwi Priyatno concurred with Sutarman.

'€œOnly the police, the military and Satpol PP [Public Order Agency] have the authority to conduct raids. We will arrest those who conduct the raids, as they will be in violation of Article 170 of the Criminal Code on violence and property destruction,'€ Dwi said on Friday.

Separately, Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin announced that an isbat (confirmation) meeting on Friday '€” led by the ministry and attended by representatives from several Islamic organizations '€” confirmed that Ramadhan would start on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Muslims across the archipelago conducted various traditional rituals on Friday to greet the fasting month.

In Bantul regency, Yogyakarta, thousands flocked to Parangtritis Beach in Kretek district to join the tradition of padusan (bathing), to cleanse the body before the fasting month.

'€œAfter this, I feel ready to start fasting,'€ Pramesti from Babarsari, Sleman regency, Yogyakarta, said on the sidelines of the padusan activity at Parangtritis.

In Klaten, Central Java, padusan was scheduled for Saturday at Umbul Ingas spring in Tulung but this did not stop people from cramming the site on Friday. Other rituals included prayers offered to ancestors and the visiting of clerics'€™ tombs.

In Pucung village, Pudak Payung subdistrict, Semarang City, Central Java, locals joined the nyadran ritual at Sendhang Gedhe pool, in which residents say prayers for their ancestors and ask for good health and safety for all. It ends with a joint prayer and a meal together.

'€œThis tradition has happened here since before I was born,'€ Atmorejo, an elderly member of the community said.

Separately, Semarang City administration on Friday held the dugderan traditional festival in downtown Semarang with a street parade that started at 4 p.m.

In Gorontalo, the majority of Muslims visited the graves of local Muslim clerics believed to be saints. The most-visited graveyards included the graveyard of Ju Panggola, or King Ilato, which is on a hill near Limboto Lake in Lekobalo subdistrict.

In Aceh, hundreds of women competed for space at a meat market, organized by seasonal traders in Keutapang Aceh Besar traditional market, to get the best meat for meugang, which is a family feast held at the beginning and end of Ramadhan.

Ainur Rohmah in Semarang, Kusumasari Ayuningtyas in Klaten and Syamsul Huda M. Suhari in Gorontalo and Hotli Simanjutak contributed to this story.

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