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apua Police chief Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said no bible was burned in Jayapura, contradicting reports that went viral on social media following violent protests by local people against local military personnel on Thursday.

“There was no bible burned in the incident. It was The Origin of Religions book by Thomas Hwang,” Boy said after a meeting with local figures in Jayapura on Friday.

The rumor of a bible being burned by a soldier spread on Thursday leading to a protest by a group of people in front of the official residence of 172 Military Resort chief (Kasrem) Lt. Col. Johanis Krismadi in Padangbulan Abepura, Jayapura.

In the demonstration, protestors pelted the house with stones and blocked a road with burning tires causing massive traffic congestion.

During the protest Jayapura Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Tober Marison Sirait and his aide who went to the vicinity to calm the situation were injured after the mob threw stones at them.

The protests were dispersed after security forces fired rubber bullets, which injured three locals, Boy said, adding that live ammunition was not used. “If we did not disperse them, we feared the mob would get more violent. We involved local clergy and the mayor to calm them but they still demanded the person whom they believed to have carried out the burning to be handed over to them,” Boy said.

Cendrawasih Military Command chief Maj. Gen. George Supit said the burning of the Thomas Hwang book occurred when a soldier cleaned the Kasrem’s house. He burned a box of books stored in a shed without checking the contents first.

Someone took a picture of the incident and spread the photo on social media.“The unconfirmed news spread and provoked local people,” he said adding that he apologized for the incident and insisted there was no ill intent by his subordinate.