More workers? houses in Arun set on fire as arson continues

Arsons in the residential complex of liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer PT Arun?s wokers in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh continued over the weekend despite a tight protection made by the government?s security members. One more house was set on fire on Saturday after two schools in the area were burned down earlier in the week, local newspaper Serambi Indonesia reported on Monday.

The newspaper reported that the house was burned only one day after elementary school SD 4 Yamena, and junior high school SLTP 2 Yamena, both located on Bapahatam Muaradua district, were set on fire. The fire eliminated a house to ash just before a Jakarta delegation led Coordinating Minister for Economy Bambang Ydhoyoono arrived in the area for an official visit.

The Saturday fire affected three houses but two of the houses could be prevented. No injuries were reported in the fire because its occupants left the houses before the fire began.

According to the company?s public relation official said that the people involved in the arson could not yet be identified. But he believed that the fire was carefully planned. "The alleged actors of the fire burned a mosquito coils near gasoline," he added.

PT Arun stopped its LNG production for five months from March to August last year after its natural gas supplier PT ExxonMobil Indonesia stopped its production due to security reason. (*)