Fresh clash injures three in Indonesia's Papua

Fresh clash injures three in Indonesia's Papua

Hundreds of people clashed on the street of a town in Indonesia's Papua on Sunday in the second brawl to take place following the inauguration of a new province there a day earlier, police said.

Some 400 people opposed to the new Central Irian Jaya province as part of a move to split Papua into three, attacked more than 100 pro-province supporters guarding the new governor's office in the town of Timika, police said.

"The violence took some 156 minutes with both sides throwing rocks at each other," said Second Sergeant Kenneth of the district police in Timika.

He said that a few people were injured, including a local parliamentarian, but he could not give any figure.

But he said no one had been arrested following the incident.

Yance, a doctor on duty at the Timika general hospital, said three people were treated for injuries sustained from stone throwing and later discharged.

The clash followed protests Saturday when some 500 supporters of the new province were attacked by 200 opponents as they paraded through Timika.

Jakarta wants to split Papua into West and Central Irian Jaya and Papua provinces. It has already installed a governor for West Irian Jaya.

The government says the objective is to improve administration in the huge and mountainous 411,000 square kilometer province.

But the Working Group on Papua, which brings together activists and legislators, warned Wednesday that the move would fuel separatist unrest. -- AFP