Jakarta – An Indonesian rights group has accused the military of provoking clashes between security forces and students that left 16 dead last week, a report said Thursday.

"A number of hoodlums were recruited and paid," by the military to take part, the Independent Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence said.

Uniformed and plain-clothed intelligence officers from the military "directly and indirectly" provoked the Black Friday clashes on November 13, commission spokesman Munir was quoted by the Jakarta Post as saying. The commission's findings came from interviews with several unemployed people and members of the armed forces, he said without identifying anyone.

Thugs "were recruited from the streets by plainclothes personnel and paid to participate in the student protests," he said. "They were seen in the frontline of the student protest." Munir displayed a fake university jacket and badge which he said had been taken by students from a man "who threw stones at the security." One man injured while standing in the frontline of the student protesters was later found to be carrying a military identification card. Commission members said they would release the names of military personnel they knew were involved but did not say when.

Education Minister Yuwono Sudarsono on Monday said "radical groups" had been among the students and had provoked the violence on Friday. He said the group members were aged around 30 and were not students but he gave no further details.

National police chief Lieutenant General Rusmanhadi was quoted by the Jakarta Post as saying the clashes were also provoked by "agent provocateurs" who had thrown stones, dirt and fuel bombs at soldiers while the students were negotiating with the security forces. Their actions sparked armed soldiers to fired rubber bullets, teargas and water cannon, he said.

Rusmanhadi blamed the clashes on a group of opposition figures who last week issued a document calling for an alternative government. The document, he said, had incited the students to protest. Police are currently investigating at least 11 people, mostly signatories of the document on suspicion of trying to topple the government.

Critics, including lawyers, have however said that the investigation was an attempt to divert public attention from the problems faced by the government, including the violent clashes on Friday and ensuing riots on Saturday.