At least three people have died in several days of clashes between rivals using arrows and stones in Indonesia's remote Papua region but police said the violence appeared to be calming down.
The clashes were sparked by the Government's creation of a new province in the area and began over the weekend outside administrative buildings in Timika, seat of the newly created Government of Central Irian Jaya province, 3,400 kilometre east of Jakarta.
Timika was calm on Tuesday after police imposed a "red alert" condition on the territory.
Between 500 and 800 supporters and opponents of the Government's carve-up of Papua fought in the streets on Monday.
"A third person died this morning," Papua provincial police spokesman Daud Sihombing told Reuters by telephone from Timika.
He said the latest victim died after paramedics treated him for an arrow wound received earlier.
He said at least 36 people had been injured, some seriously.
Police on Monday said a man died after being shot by an arrow. One person died on Sunday after being hit by a stone.
Indonesia recently carved up Papua into three provinces -- West Irian Jaya, Central Irian Jaya and Papua -- a move critics see as an effort by the Government to weaken separatist aspirations. Central Irian Jaya is the newest province.
In 2001, Jakarta passed laws giving Papua more autonomy and a bigger share of revenues from oil fields.
Source News: http://www.abc.net.au/news/
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