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