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Police beef up security ahead of year-end holidays
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Police officers take part in a ceremonial guard for Christmas and New Year at the National Monument (Monas) in Jakarta on Dec. 22. (Reuters/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana)
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reparations to welcome the first year-end holiday season without strict public health rules since the beginning of the pandemic are now in full swing, with the police planning to mobilize personnel to keep people safe during the festivities.
The National Police hosted a roll call in preparation for Operasi Lilin (Operation Candle), which aims to provide security for Christmas and New Year celebrations, at the National Monument (Monas) in Jakarta on Thursday. The operation also includes members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and civilian volunteers.
“The security measures will amount to around 166,000 joint personnel,” National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo said in a video clip posted on the National Police’s Twitter account.
“With regard to the potential terrorism threat [during Christmas], we have instructed all personnel to take the necessary measures to ensure that throughout the [Christmas] prayers and the 2023 New Year [festivities], everybody can be truly safe from these disturbances,” Listyo added.
Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo said on Monday that Operasi Lilin aimed to secure over 52,000 places of interest across the country starting from Thursday until Jan. 2, kompas.com reported. They included over 41,000 churches, hundreds of bus and train stations, airports and seaports, more than 3,700 tourist attractions and some 1,700 locations that would host New Year’s Eve celebrations, as well as nearly 3,700 markets and shopping centers.
According to Dedi, Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, who is the former leader of Ansor, the youth wing of Indonesia's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), would be sending 200,000 members of its paramilitary group Barisan Ansor Serbaguna (Banser) to aid the police.
Holidaymakers on the move
