Jakarta – Human Rights Watch/Asia on Thursday voiced concern over what it described as widespread arrests of civilians and dissidents in East Timor by Indonesian security officers after recent guerrilla attacks.

At least 34 people died as a result of attacks by separatists seeking to disrupt last Thursday's national elections, in which Indonesia's ruling Golkar swept 74 percent of the vote, police said.

"Human Rights Watch/Asia condemns any targeting of civilians or other non-combatants by East Timor guerrillas as being in clear violation of international humanitarian law," the New York-based organisation said in a statement.

"Human Rights Watch/Asia is also concerned about reports of manhunts by the military in the aftermath of the violence and widespread arrests in Dili, Baucau, Ermera and Los Palos under circumstances in which torture is likely," it said.

East Timor deputy police chief Lieutenant-Colonel Atok Rismanto denied any torture or killings by security officers, but confirmed the arrests.

"We deny there has been torture. We do arrest people but I can't tell you how many," he said by telephone from the East Timor capital of Dili.

He said East Timor was quiet on Thursday and there were no reports of fresh attacks by separatists rebels.

In the most serious recent incident, separatists killed 16 policemen and a soldier in an ambush on Saturday morning as the group returned by truck from protecting election booths.

A further 17 people, including at least four rebels, died last Wednesday and Thursday in election-related violence.

Indonesia invaded the former Portuguese colony in 1975 and annexed it the following year in a move not recognised by the United Nations.

The military says about 80 poorly armed guerrillas remain in the rugged hills in the territory. Other sources suggest there are around 200.

Jakarta officially has about 5,000 troops in East Timor, far more than in neighbouring provinces with much larger populations.