Major roads to close on New Year's Eve

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police will close Jakarta's main thoroughfares including Jl. Jenderal Sudirman and M.H. Thamrin during New Year's Eve, which will fall on Tuesday evening and go into early Wednesday morning, in order to make way for pedestrian revelers.

"The closure of the main thoroughfares will be made to provide greater space for the people to celebrate the New Year," said City Police Chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara.

Police will close access to Jl. Jend Sudirman from Semanggi flyover up to the road in front of Sarinah shopping mall since early in the afternoon until the end of the festival. The festival will centered at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle. The road will be dedicated to pedestrians only.

Police will also prohibit the revelers from riding on the backs of open trucks or standing on a vehicle's roof.

"No firecrackers will be allowed, just like in the latest Idul Fitri and Christmas celebrations," said Makbul.

The New Year's Eve festival is scheduled to run from 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

Several groups are scheduled to hold a people's festival entitled "New Year 2003 thanksgiving and prayer," featuring among other things, a Kuda Lumping dance, Barongsai (Chinese lion dance) and other cultural performances.

There will be prayers recited by representatives of all religions, except Jewish, to mark the festival.

Several giant screens will be erected to air the program live for those who are too far from the traffic circle.

The program will culminate with a Muslim sermon by cleric Abdullah Gymnastiar, popularly known as Aa' Gym.