OPM headquarters burned down

OPM headquarters burned down

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: Puncak Jaya Regent Eliezer Renmaur
warned students from the regency against overreacting to the
recent burning by the local military of the Free Papua Movement
(OPM)'s headquarters in the regency, saying no houses were
damaged and burned in the incident.

He acknowledged that a number of soldiers burned down a large,
wooden building that had been used as the OPM's headquarters in
the regency during a recent security operation following the
bloody assault by rebels on Ilaga town on Oct. 28, 2001.

More than 9,000 Ilaga residents took refuge in Puncak Jaya and
Wamena after their houses were damaged and burned down by the
armed rebels.

"So, it is simply not true that the burning was committed by
the military," he said.

He said the rebel assault had also caused Rp 10 billion in
material losses to the local administration as many government
offices had also been torched during the incident.

He claimed that he had also received many reports that a
member of the Puncak Jaya legislature and a priest had joined the
rebels in launching the assault.

"The two will be investigated because the alleged acts are
wrong and against the law," he said. --Antara