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Security beefed up across country ahead of Christmas celebrations
Dubbed Operation Candle, almost 200,000 personnel from the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police and relevant agencies have been deployed to maintain public order and safety during the Christmas and year-end holiday season.
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By candlelight: Churchgoers raise Christmas candles during a service at Immanuel Church in Central Jakarta. (JP/Donny Fernando)
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s Christians in Indonesia prepare to attend religious services in celebration of Christmas on Tuesday and Wednesday, authorities have stepped up measures to secure churches across the country to prevent terrorist attacks or other crimes.
Dubbed Operation Candle, almost 200,000 personnel from the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police and relevant agencies have been deployed to maintain public order and safety during the Christmas and year-end holiday season.
In Jakarta, over 8,000 police officers, military personnel and public safety officers from the Jakarta administration will take part in the operation.
The police have also prepared 95 security posts and 27 service posts at city churches.
Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Yusri Yunus said that the police had mapped all 1,558 churches in the Greater Jakarta area to gauge how much security was needed and 361 would be prioritized, including the Jakarta Cathedral in Central Jakarta.
In Yogyakarta, the police have surveyed churches to scan for any security threats, even deploying their bomb squad division to check on churches, their surrounding areas and even light and air-conditioning fittings and other electronic devices inside the buildings.
Yogyakarta Police bomb squad head Iptu. Tri Joko said the police had searched at least 30 churches in the province and his division had further divided into three teams on Monday to patrol churches in all four regencies in the province.
On Tuesday, the division planned to patrol the churches inside Yogyakarta city proper for any threats.
Yogyakarta City Police operational division head Comr. Naafi’arman said the police had deployed 925 officers to secure Christmas services in churches, especially at Antonius Church in Kotabaru, Albertus Church in Jetis, Hati Kudus Church in Pugeran, Santo Yusuf Church in Bintaran, Fransiskus Xaverius Church in Kidul Loji and Sawokembar Church.
Yogyakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Asep Suhander said the local police also cooperated with the National Police’s Densus 88 Antiterrorism Unit to anticipate any terror threat.
In North Sumatra, the police have prepared 103 security posts and 38 service posts for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
North Sumatra Police chief Insp. Gen. Martuani Sormin Siregar said police would also conduct water patrols, including around seven docks in Toba Lake, checking the boats used for crossing the lake to ensure security.
Around 3,000 joint personnel have been deployed in South Sumatra to secure the Christmas and New Year celebrations. They have been stationed at churches, rest areas on toll roads between Palembang and Lampung, as well as other traffic-heavy spots, according to deputy South Sumatra Police chief Brig. Gen. Rudi Setiawan.
Meanwhile, East Java Police have deployed more than 10,000 personnel in their year-end holiday operations.
East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa and East Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Luki Hermawan as well as Pangdam V Brawijaya military command chief Maj. Gen. R Wisnoe Prasetja Boedi visited several churches in the provincial capital of Surabaya for security clearance, including Gembala Baik Catholic Church on Jl. Jemur Andayani, Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) on Jl. Ngagel Surabaya, while other churches in the city were being patrolled by other police officers.
West Java Police have also identified 632 churches in the province that would be secured during the Christmas celebrations.
In Central Java, at least 32,000 joint personnel will be on duty for the Christmas and New Year holidays, Central Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Rycko Amelza Dahniel said. The police had identified 2,800 churches in the province that will hold Christmas services, 138 of which would be prioritized because of their large congregations and service schedules.
The youth wing of Indonesia's largest Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), GP Ansor, is also participating in securing Christmas celebrations, with the group's chairman Yaqut Cholil Qoumas saying that some 3.5 million Banser (civilian security guard) members would be deployed to help secure churches across the country during Christmas services.
On Monday, TNI commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto and National Police chief Gen. Idham Aziz toured several cities to review the security preparations in those areas, including Manado in North Sulawesi and Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara, where around 5,105 joint personnel will be deployed to secure the Christmas and year-end holidays.
Papua Police are also conducting security operations especially for Christmas services at churches.
The police have deployed 2,025 police personnel to 63 posts across the country's easternmost province, including in 2,247 churches, 48 tourist destinations, 63 gas stations, 70 public facilities, 33 docks, 14 bus terminals, 42 airports and 117 shopping centers.
TNI spokesperson Maj. Gen. Sisriadi previously said that there would not be any special security measures by the military to secure the Christmas and New Year holidays in Papua, which saw an outbreak of violent unrest in the past months, and security measures would only involve local officers on the ground. (ami)
