TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Four units of Mobile Brigade (Brimob) personnel from three provincial police are stationed in West Papua to facilitate restoration of security following riots in the provincial capital of Manokwari on Monday, a police spokesman stated.

The deployed Brimob personnel come from the Southeast Provincial Police, North Sulawesi Provincial Police, and Maluku Provincial Police.

"They have been stationed according to their respective position. The most important aspect is that the presence of Brimob personnel aims to ensure a peaceful situation," Chief of the Public Relations Bureau of the National Police (Polri) Brigadier General Dedi Prasetyo stated on Tuesday

He affirmed that the security condition in West Papua, especially Manokwari, has been brought under control, and the local people have returned to their routine activities.

According to the police, 10 public facilities incurred damage in the aftermath of the riots in Manokwari, while 15 facilities were damaged in Sorong.

On Monday, thousands of people in Manokwari had demonstrated to express their ire over alleged racist action against Papuan students in Surabaya and Malang, East Java. They had set fire to tires in several parts of the city and main streets.

The rally was also reported in Jayapura, the capital city of Papua Province.

ANTARA