Jakarta to have subdued revelry

Jakarta to have subdued revelry

JAKARTA: New Year's celebrations in Jakarta may be muted this
year as there is an obvious drop in the number of events being
organized around the city, City Public Order Office head Harianto
Badjoeri said on Friday.

He was quoted by beritajakarta.com as saying that there was a
25 percent drop in the number of events being held for the New
Year due to people's lower purchasing power following the fuel
price increase in October.

Harianto said his office would deploy 1,850 officers to help
secure entertainment venues in five areas around Jakarta to allay
fears of bomb blasts. His office requires entertainment centers
to close their doors by 3 a.m. on New Year's Day.

"Beyond that time, we will penalize the centers," he said.

There are 695 entertainment centers in the city according to
the Jakarta Tourism Agency, comprising 220 massage parlors, seven
spas, 101 discotheques, 184 live music pubs, 174 karaoke bars and
nine nightclubs. --JP