Police post burned after beating report

MANOKWARI, Irian Jaya: A police post in the Sanggeng area of Manokwari here was set ablaze by an unidentified group in the early hours of Friday.

No fatalities were reported in the fire at the post, located in the heart of Manokwari town, Antara said.

A day earlier, the post was partly damaged by Sanggeng villagers who had been told that a fellow resident, Naftali Sawaky, 21, had died after being badly beaten by Mobile Brigade personnel.

During the attack, a local identified as Yunus Uniputty, 77, was shot by security authorities ordered to disperse the crowd.

Manokwari Police chief Lt. Col. R.E. Hutabarat could not be reached for comment.

The town was quiet on Friday after the attack on the police post, with many shops remaining closed and residents reluctant to leave their homes.

Trucks carrying uniformed marine personnel were seen patrolling around the town.