The National Police have called on the public to refrain from sharing unverified information about the riots in Papua, as authorities track down social media accounts suspected of sowing discord.

The police were tracking down a YouTube channel and a Facebook page that had reportedly posted provocative content aimed at fanning the flames of unrest, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo said

“We’re currently profiling [the social media pages]. Although they have deleted their videos, the [National Police's] Cyber Directorate is still able to investigate their digital footprints,” Dedi said on Monday, as quoted by tribunnews.com. 

He said the police were still unable to confirm whether the two social media pages were affiliated and managed by the same administrators. 

The police have yet to disclose the names of the social media accounts. 

Rioting broke out in several cities in Indonesia's easternmost provinces, including West Papua's cities of Manokwari and Sorong as well as Papua's town of Jayapura, on Monday, as local people, comprising mostly university students, protested against the recent case of racial abuse of Papuan students in East Java.

The protests came after security personnel and members of mass organizations reportedly launched physical and verbal attacks on Papuan students living in a dormitory in Surabaya, East Java, on Sunday, accusing the Papuans of refusing to celebrate Indonesia's 74^th Independence Day over the weekend.

The government temporarily limited internet access in Papua as the situation quickly escalated in an effort to curb the spread of misinformation amid the chaos. (rfa)