Congregations cautious amid possible bomb threat

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

People intending to celebrate Christmas on Wednesday remain fearful of possible bomb attacks despite heightened security, but insist they will attend celebrations in churches or other public places.

"I am still very afraid by the security situation. Frankly, I am still traumatized by the bomb attack on my church two years ago that killed my friend's young brother," said Sinta, a member of S Yoseph Matraman Catholic Church on Jl. Matraman, East Jakarta.

"But, I hope the security officers and police do their jobs well and all things go smoothly with no disturbance at all."

Long queues of congregation members undergoing security checks before entering the church would not matter much, she said. "Safety is our top priority now."

Iing, a member of the Glory of the New Testament Church in Central Jakarta, said owners of the building housing their chapter were so concerned about a possible attack they had asked the Christian group to celebrate Christmas elsewhere.

The church had complied with the owners' wishes and transferred the service to a secret location.

Iing said she would still attend the service.

"Let us pray that everything will be OK," she said.

Many churches in the capital appeared busy on Monday preparing for the festivities. Church members, both young and old, decorated the churches and erected tents for the security queues in case of rain.

Security was the main priority for churches amid renewed security concerns following the Bali bombings that killed more than 190 people, mostly foreign tourists, and injured 300 others and the bombing in Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi, in which three people were murdered on Dec. 5.

The latest travel advisory from the Australian Embassy urges its citizens to avoid places of worship, saying they could be targeted by terrorists.

Lestyanto Prabowo, a security coordinator at the Kathedral Church in Central Jakarta, said it would employ tight security on Christmas Eve.

Lestyanto said 275 security personnel comprising police, military officers and city public order officers would provide security around the church.

Lestyanto said members of Muslim group Nahdlatul Ulama's youth wing, paramilitary personnel of the Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), boy scouts and other groups had offered to provide voluntary support during the celebrations.

"In addition, we will deploy 60 security officers to control security outside the church building, with 50 others inside."

He said security was tasked with sweeping the church for bombs and conducting security checks, adding there would be two metal detector doors and five portable metal detectors on site.

Each of the three Christmas-day masses were expected to attract 2,500 people, he said.

The Istiqlal Grand Mosque, situated next to the more than 100- year-old church, had offered to allow those attending the service to use its carpark.

Those attending S Yoseph Matraman Catholic Church services were asked to park in Bank Nasional Indonesia's building or at Antonius Elementary School to prevent vehicles from stopping anywhere near the church.

"We have yet to decide whether we will use one or two access doors for the congregation. It depends on the metal detector being available," said Heru, a security guard at the scene.

Four people were killed and dozens of others injured in a string of bombings which ripped through churches across the capital on Christmas Eve, 2000. Three of those casualties were from the Santo Yoseph Church.