Two killed after residents, police clash in Manokwari

Two residents died at the hospital on Thursday following a clash with Mobile Brigade (Brimob) police officers in the West Papua capital of Manokwari on Wednesday night.

Hospital officials have not yet disclosed the cause of death of Naftali Kwan, 40, and Septi Kwan, 29, who were pronounced dead early on Thursday.

The clash erupted in front of the Brimob headquarters on Jl. Esau Sesa because of a misunderstanding between police officers and local residents, Papua police spokesman Sr. Comr. Wachyono said.

The incident was allegedly triggered by a traffic accident that occurred near the Brimob office. When three plain clothed Brimob officers tried to help the victim, a crowd of residents gathered and demanded that the officers take responsibility for the accident, Wachyono said.

“Armed with swords, arrows, wooden bars and stones, the residents attacked the officers. They thought the police officers were responsible for the accident,” Wachyono said, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com, adding that the police opened fire to disperse the angry residents.

“The Brimob officers opened fire in self defense. The injured were admitted to the hospital, but they died,” Wachyono said.

Tension gripped the town throughout the rest of the day, but security authorities had restored order by Thursday afternoon.

Earlier this month clashes between local residents and the police broke out in the Central Sulawesi town of Buol, leaving eight people dead, and a similar clash took place in the South Sumatra town of Musi Rawas.