Jakarta – The Indonesian military has issued a "full alert" security status in Jayapura, the capital of Indonesia's remote eastern Irian Jaya province, as it enters third day Saturday of massive protests over the government's decision to split the province in three.

Thousands of students and civilians there have occupied the governor's office since Thursday, though no clashes have been reported, an officer with the Irian Jaya military command said.

"It is now on full alert ... and joint personnel from the military command and the 751 [Army] battalion have been deployed," second sergeant Riswan told AFP by phone. "The city is tense, thank God there are no clashes yet but all of us have not been home in two days," he added.

The government, through a presidential decree issued earlier this year, split the huge province of Irian Jaya, which constitutes half of the island of New Guinea, into three provinces – East Irian Jaya, Central Irian Jaya and West Irian Jaya.

Jakarta said the move was needed to better administer the huge province, while many Irianese charged it was designed to tighten Jakarta's control over them. It also appointed three new governors on Tuesday.

Similar demonstrations involving a total of 1,200 protesters also took place Thursday in the Biak and Nabire regencies of Irian Jaya, the Jakarta Post reported.