Expats warned after Jakarta café attacks

The US Embassy today warned Americans to avoid nightspots in Indonesia for the rest of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan after Muslim militants vandalised a bar in Jakarta.

About 300 members of the Islamic Defender’s Front smashed windows and chairs at a popular expatriates bar on Friday night, because it was selling alcohol. It was closed at the time of the attack, and no-one was injured.

The embassy said in a statement on its website: “The US Embassy cautions American citizens to avoid all standalone bars, clubs or nightclubs where similar acts of violence may be repeated.”

The United States has already warned its citizens to avoid travel to Indonesia because of the risk of terrorism.

In the past two years, Indonesia has seen three attacks by al-Qaida-linked militants on Western targets, including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, most of them foreign tourists.

The Islamic Defenders Front, formed in 2000, has a history of vandalising entertainment centres during Ramadan. Many analysts say extorting money from frightened bar owners – not Islamic principles – is its primary motive.

The month of Ramadan, which Muslims mark by fasting during the daytime, is often accompanied by an increase in religious fervour. This year it started on October 15 and ends in mid-November.

Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim nation, with about 80% of its 210 million inhabitants following Islam, but its government is secular. It has significant numbers of Christians, Buddhists and Hindus.