by Mathias Hariyadi

Up to a million people took to the streets of Singkawan, to attend celebrations for the Cap Go Meh. In recent days, extremist leaders have shouted slogans against the party, branded as "anti-Islamic". Authorities and police have monitored security, no major accident or collision.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - The Indonesian community of Chinese origin, local and foreign tourists have flocked to the town of Singkawang - about 100 miles north of Pontianak, the provincial capital of West Borneo - to attend the celebrations for the Cap Go Meh. The traditional street party with dancing, music, songs, falls exactly 15 days away from Imlek - the Lunar New Year on 23 January, which marked the beginning of the Year of the Dragon - and attracted the attention of hundreds of thousands, perhaps a million people from all over the archipelago and overseas. To cast a shadow on festivities, some threatening banners hoisted - most likely - by members of Islamic extremist fringe, but the tight control of the police has prevented any incidents of violence.

Singkawang is the favorite destination for tourists and Indonesians of Chinese origin, who have invaded the city - according to some sources reaching one million, ed - for the celebrations linked to Cap Go Meh. Yesterday dozens of people dressed in colourful traditional clothes, dancing to the sound of music in streets and squares, as every year, the culmination of the festival is represented by a folk performance by renamed Tatung, the most famous event and appreciated by participants. Among them Jacky Cheung, a famous singer in Hong Kong who came to witness the event firsthand. ,

However, banners and signs appeared in the days preceding the festival the streets of the town - majority Chinese - which called on the Muslim community to boycott the festival. Local sources report that the perpetrators of the act are to be found among the leaders of the extremist fringe, according to who the Cap Go Meh celebrations, "are contrary to Islam" and its principles.

The presence of senior officials, including the governor of West Borneo, and police officers at the averted the possibility of violence or riots. Imposing security measures, for an event that has sold out hotels and hostels since the past few months. Also yesterday, celebrations and festivities were held in Bogor, about 60 km south-west of Jakarta, with dance performances including the artistic tribal Reog Ponorogo dance and the Papu dance to mark the Lunar New Year.

• indonesia
• lunar
• new
• year
• celebrations
• chinese
• islamic
• estremeists