Jakarta – National Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said he had ordered regional police chiefs to work together with MUI, the Indonesian Ulema Council, and PGI, the Indonesian Communion of Churches, to keep Christmas celebrations safe this year.

All the regional police chiefs have been instructed to make security arrangements for this year's Christmas celebrations in consultation with the MUI, PGI, FKUB, or the Inter-Religion Harmony Forum, other Islamic mass organizations and also local religious leaders, Tito said.

"Intelligence will play a big role. We have to identify groups that may plan an attack on Christmas and stop them," Tito said in Jakarta on Sunday (11/12).

Tito said police officers are allowed to incorporate local Islamic groups to secure Christmas events, including Nahdlatul Ulama's paramilitary force Banser.

As previously reported, experts have called on the government to flex its muscles to protect the rights of all Indonesian citizens to conduct religious services following the shutdown of a Christmas celebration in Bandung by a hardline Muslim group.

The Bandung incident is the latest in a long list of cases where law enforcers have failed to protect minority groups.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/mui-pgi-assist-christmas-security-arrangements-top-cop/