Jakarta(AsiaNews/Agencies) – A Christian radio station is threatened whilst authorities increase security details around Christian places of worship and community centres as fears of Christmas attacks grow.
On Saturday afternoon Radio Pelita Kasih, which is in Dewi Sartika in easternJakarta, received a phone call that threatened a bomb attack. Police and the bomb squad inspected the premises but found nothing. The radio station broadcast Christian music and religious programmes.
On Monday, Colonel Ketut Untung Yoga, spokesman for the police, announced that 18,000 police officers would be deployed to protect thousands of churches and other religious sites inJakartafor fear of attacks by Islamic extremists. “Places of worship are our priority,” Yoga said.
In 2000 a series of coordinated bombs killed 19 people during the Christmas season.
OnDecember 31, 2005, a market in a Christian area in the city ofPalu(Sulawesi) was the scene of another attack that left seven people dead.
In both cases Jemaah Islamyah, a militant Islamist group thought to be linked with al-Qaeda, was blamed.
Other major attacks attributed to Jemaah Islamyah occurred inBali, in 2002, which killed 202 people; at the Marriot Hotel, a place with many Western guests, in 2003; against the Australian Embassy in 2004; and again inBali, in 2005.
Security has also been stepped in Poso (Sulawesi) where violence against Christians has flared several times and where three Catholics, sentenced to death for their alleged role in the death of Muslims during religious riots, were executed on September 22.
Catholics objected to the sentence arguing that the evidence was insufficient to prove their guilt and that the trial fell short of meeting standards of justice since the rights of the defence were not fully upheld.
In the meantime, the US Embassy inJakartaput out a warning, saying that “there is a real threat against the safety of Americans and other Westerners inIndonesia.” It listed as possible targets hotels, business centres, transportation sites, places of worship and any crowed area. (PB)
