I will go there to ensure it."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa plans to visit Tolikara to ensure that the needs of evacuees in the district are met.

"I have communicated with the national police chief to ascertain that logistic needs of evacuees in both locations (where they have been accommodated) are met. I will go there to ensure it," she said here on Monday.

It was confirmed that as many as 153 people were accommodated in the sub-district military headquarters and in a location behind the resort police station, following a riot in Tolikara on Friday, the minister added.

Parawansa is scheduled to visit Tolikara on Wednesday, after visiting Lany Jaya district to ensure adequate food stock for villagers affected by the recent snowfall.

Besides checking the logistic supplies, she stated that she will also inspect data on the shops that were set on fire in the Papuan district.

She affirmed that her office will also deploy social workers to help victims, especially children and the elderly, overcome the trauma they suffered from the incident.

According to the standard operating procedure, owners of the shops burnt down during the rioting are eligible to have them renovated.

The minister pointed out that it was her ministrys responsibility to handle the social disaster, which involves refugees, as well.

According to data received by her office, a total of 63 shops and a mosque had been set afire, while 38 families, or 153 people, have been evacuated.

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.

(Reporting by Desi Purnamawati/Uu.H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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