TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - One person was killed and 12 others were wounded after supporters of rival candidates in the election of head of Puncak Jaya district in the Indonesian eastern province of Papua clashed on Saturday.

Papua police spokesman Senior Commissioner Ahmad Kamal confirmed the incident to ANTARA, adding that 16 houses had also been burned.

He stated that the incident started at 11:15 a.m. when supporters of Candidate 1 conducted a stone-burning ceremony.

The fire then flared creating thick smoke to make people led by Loni Telenggen alias Bongkar Telenggeng misunderstand it as an act of attack and torching. They then went to Command Post 3, but before arriving there, they met people coming from the opposite direction, and then the clash broke out.

Police seeking to break them up, led by Puncak Jaya police chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Indra Napitupulu, fired warning shots, but they were ignored. At 12:30, however, the two groups could be separated.

Ahmad Kamal noted that he deplored the incident that had caused the casualties, while the election dispute itself was still being settled at the constitutional court.

He appealed to the people not to be easily provoked by rumors that were deliberately spread by irresponsible persons.

"Candidates must keep monitoring their supporters so that they would not be involved in anarchism. The regional police, and military chiefs, as well as deputy governor and chairman of Papua regional legislative assembly, and the three camps in the election, had pledged to avoid attacks while waiting for the courts ruling over their disputes," Ahmad Kamal said.

The Puncak Jaya district head election was participated in by three pairs of head and deputy head candidates. They are Yustus Wonda pairing with Kirenus Telenggen, Hanock Ibo-Rinus, and Yuni WondaaDeinad Geley.

ANTARA