Indonesia steps up security for Christmas, New Year holidays

Police step up security ahead of Christmas and New Year in Indonesia (Photo:straitstimes.com/)

Jakarta (VNA) - With the 2025 year-end holiday fast approaching, Indonesia’s National Police have stepped up security measures nationwide, deploying hundreds of thousands of personnel to ensure the public can celebrate Christmas and New Year safely.

The police have implemented the annual nationwide Operasi Lilin, or Operation Candle, from December 20 to January 2 to ensure public safety and maintain order at churches, tourism sites and transport hubs during the year-end holidays.

The operation, scheduled to run for two weeks from December 20 to January 2, has deployed around 146,000 personnel from the police, the military and various government agencies.

In Jakarta and its satellite cities, the police are prioritising security at places of worship that require a higher level of protection, with more than 5,000 personnel from different forces deployed.

Jakarta police chief Insp. Gen. Asep Edi Suheri said the tightened security measures are aimed at preventing any potential risks during the sensitive year-end period.

Alongside protection duties, the Indonesian police have also been involved in supporting disaster recovery efforts in several localities, including Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra, where many churches were affected by extreme weather ahead of Christmas.

National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo noted that thousands of officers have been dispatched to assist with clean-up and repairs, helping religious facilities resume normal operations as soon as possible.

At the same time, Indonesian authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant against the risks of extreme weather, flooding and landslides, following warnings issued by the national meteorological agency for the latter part of December/.

VNA