Joy of NYE in Indonesia Mixes with Prayer for Mourners

Jakarta (Antara) - The New Year's Eve (NYE) was celebrated on Wednesday evening with the mixture of joy and prayers for a better Indonesia in 2015 and for Indonesians suffering from natural disasters and the missing AirAsia plane. The Jakarta Night Festival went on despite the uneasy situation. Certain elements in the society still launched fire works in the capital city. Several thousands of Jakartans and those from greater Jakarta areas, such as Bogor, Bekasi and Depok, flocked the capital city to enjoy the live music concerts staged on Thamrin and Medan Merdeka Selatan streets in Central Jakarta. The live music concerts were also performed in Ancol amusement park complex in North Jakarta, featuring musicians and singers from such genres as Dangdut, pop, and folk music. Amid this joyful situation, the calls on the people to celebrate the NYE moderately were, however, echoed by Police Chief General Sutarman and other figures, such as West Java Province's Deputy Governor Deddy Mizwar by considering the nation's misery. "Indonesia is mourning for the missing AirAsia aircraft. Therefore, I call on the people not to celebrate the New Year's Eve extravagantly. Instead, we need to show our solidarity for those in misery," General Sutarman said. (*)