Rahmat, Makassar – Dozens of panicked transvestites were sent fleeing for safety after Indonesia's militant Islamic Defenders Front raided a drag-queen contest to mark World AIDS Day on Wednesday.

Ten minutes before 50 transgender competitors were expected to begin the contest in a function hall owned by the Indonesian Military (TNI) in Makassar, South Sulawesi, dozens of members of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and Majelis Darul Mustafa Makassar raided the premises and demanded the event be halted.

Habib Abu Bakar Hamid, the head of MDM, mounted the stage to address the crowd and say the contest contravened Shariah law.

"This activity is not part of the Shariah and for the good of the people, we demand the event to be stopped," he said, adding that a drag queen contest was an immoral act. "We want to keep ourselves from doing haram [forbidden] acts," he said.

Contest organizer Tiara Bachtiar said at first she was determined to put up a fight against the unwanted visitors but was forced to give up due to the panic caused among the contestants.

She deplored the raid, saying the event was an attempt to disseminate information about safe sex and the dangers of HIV/AIDS. "There was going to be an session to show the people ways to prevent contracting HIV/AIDS," Tiara said.