People rejoice in peaceful Christmas
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
More than 12,000 Catholics attended three Christmas Eve masses at the Jakarta Cathedral in Central Jakarta on Wednesday. The services continued peacefully amid tight security; the first mass started at 5 p.m., while the last one finished before midnight.
All visitors had to walk through a metal detector at the gate, leaving their belongings checked-in with security personnel. Two metal detectors and over 450 personnel wearing uniforms and plain clothes were deployed to secure the cathedral and its vicinity.
"I'm not worried nor afraid at all. The cathedral seems to be doing a good job handling security matters. I don't mind the checking, it's understandable," said Boni, 34.
"Of course, it's better to take preventive measures in case anything bad happens. I feel really safe here," said another churchgoer, Yuli, 41, who came from Serpong, Tangerang.
The cathedral's security unit head, Thomas Bambang said, "We deployed 200 personnel of our own, with some 250 additional officers from Jakarta Police. They had combed the whole complex earlier and found nothing suspicious."
Police worked together with social organizations to guard the outer-part of the cathedral and direct the slightly congested traffic.
Vehicles were prohibited from parking within the church yard as two large tents were erected there to accommodate those who could not be seated inside.
"The numbers (of congregation members) were an indication that people feel completely safe to attend mass. We're doing the best we can to ensure overall safety," said City Police chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara while briefly visiting the cathedral at 9 p.m.
His statement was seconded by chairman of the Indonesian Council of Bishops (KWI), Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja.
"The church was overloaded with worshipers. This means that they were unafraid to come. I'm glad that the security was well- taken care of," he said.
Thomas also said that the numbers attending this year's Christmas Eve services had reached an unprecedented figure, with 4,500 people attending the second mass.
At the Immanuel church in Pejambon, Central Jakarta, over 1,800 Christians, including some expatriates, lit candles and wished others "Merry Christmas". The security was loose compared to the cathedral's.
"I don't feel afraid since security preparations were adequate. Although there were no metal detectors prepared or bag checks," said Ronald, a 41 year-old Australian.
On Thursday, thousands of churchgoers crowded the cathedral that hosted five Christmas masses.
A total of 1,500 Christians also packed the Batak Protestant church (HKBP) in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, where two masses were held. A tent was also erected to accommodate churchgoers who couldn't get seats inside.
No significant disruptions were reported during Christmas celebrations. Security in churches has been heightened after the 2000 Christmas Eve bombings, with police deploying more than 12,200 personnel stationed at 600 points, mostly churches and recreational sites, in the city.