REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- President Joko Widodo has ordered for funding of Rp1 billion to be extended to Tolikara to help rebuild the district, following the incident that took place on Friday, July 17.

"The president has issued directives. (He) has asked for Rp1 billion to be given as assistance to immediately rebuild the house of prayer (musholla), which has already been started, and the shops (burnt down during the clashes)," Commander of the National Defense Forces (TNI) General Gatot Nurmantyo said after exchanging Eid greetings with the president at the State Palace here on Wednesday.

A group of people believed to be members of the Evangelical Church of Indonesia went to Baitul Mustaqin Mosque in Tolikara when Muslims were performing an Eid prayer on Friday. They protested the use of a loudspeaker during the prayer, stating that it was disturbing an event their church was holding at the same time.

According to the chairman of the Communion of Evangelical Churches and Institutions in Indonesia, Roni Mandang, there was chaos after police officers fired shots at them, which led to the torching of kiosks. Flames from these fires spread to the Islamic house of prayer, once it was known that a person had been shot dead.

Moreover, Spokesman for the Public Information Division of the National Police Senior Commissioner Suharsono said that the police had opened fire to bring the rioting people to order and to keep them away from the mosque.

It was later confirmed that one person was killed and 11 others were wounded in the incident.

General Nurmantyo pointed out that initially, they had decided to restore only 70 of the kiosks that had been set afire. However, it was later decided that 15 more kiosks will be built for use by local people to improve the regional economy.

Furthermore, Home Affairs Minister Tjahyo Kumolo noted that in accordance with the president's directives, local government institutions and people must rebuild the kiosks within a month.

"We are now concentrating on rebuilding the kiosks and the musholla so the economy runs again," he remarked.

The minister also stated that the president had urged the police to continue their investigation into the case.

In addition, President Jokowi has called for the immediate enforcement of laws with regard to the case and the holding of dialogs with religious, traditional and community leaders of Papua to calm both local and national tensions.

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