'I'm still traumatized by the 2000 bombings'

The Jakarta Police have deployed about 12,000 personnel to guard the city during Christmas, with most of them stationed at churches, entertainment spots and other public places, which are considered potential targets for a terrorist attack. Despite the pledge to safeguard the holiday, some people The Jakarta Post talked to are still suffering from the traumatic bomb attacks at several churches on Christmas Eve in 2000.

Afun, 28, is an employee at a consumer goods company in Jakarta. He lives in Karet, Central Jakarta:

I am worried about security in Jakarta, so I have decided to do Christmas mass in the afternoon instead of at night.

I will go to mass at St. Theresia church (Menteng, Central Jakarta) because I assume the church is a less interesting target than the large Jakarta Cathedral in Central Jakarta, where a bomb blast occurred in 2000.

However, I'm not worried about security at shopping malls, so at Christmas day I'm going to spend my day around the city in public places.

Inda, 25, is a store manager at a health shop. She is from Yogyakarta, Central Java and now lives at a boarding house in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta:

I never felt this worried about my safety while attending church when I was in Yogyakarta.

I have planned to go to the Jakarta Cathedral for Christmas Eve mass, but the bombing tragedy in 2000 has left me traumatized, even though I wasn't there at that time.

Honestly, I'm a bit reluctant to go to the Cathedral, maybe I'm just overreacting or freaking out, but that's what I feel.

I think I should go, anyway. I hope the security forces will be able to provide us with a feeling of security.

Podho, 43, originally from Kali Bawang, Kulonprogo in Central Java. He lives at a boarding house in Warung Buncit, South Jakarta:

Security during Christmas? Well, our police force should have learned a lot from the previous tragedies, and I think things have gotten better these days.

If we look back to the recent Idul Fitri holiday, everybody should acknowledge that the city was safe and I hardly heard of any commotion, even the sounds of firecrackers.

So, I'm very optimistic the security during Christmas and New Year holidays will be as good as Idul Fitri.

But since terrorism activities are not easy to detect, even by our intelligence services, I think people should stay alert for any potential terrorism attack.

Well, we'll never know what is going to happen in the future, so I just put my life in God's hands.

--The Jakarta Post