Associated Press in Jayapura – Dozens were injured on Thursday when Indonesian security forces at a remote mining town fired on about 2,000 demonstrators who demanded independence for Irian Jaya province in West New Guinea, human rights activists said.

They said the shootings took place when troops tried to lower a rebel flag flying outside a church.

"This morning the police carried out an operation in Timika to lower the independence flag," said John Rumbiak, head of the local branch of Indonesia's Institute for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy.

"We have been informed that 28 people were injured in the action," he said. "Police shot at the crowd. At least 10 people were arrested."

But police in Timika, a town near the southern coast of the half-island province, denied that they had clashed with demonstrators. Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Feisal said officers had only lowered the "Morning Star" independence flag and that there were no reports of shootings.

The incident came a day after thousands of people staged peaceful rallies in Indonesia's easternmost province to press demands for independence.

[On December 4 the SCMP said that Irian Jaya police chief Brigadier-General S. Y. Wenas had sent a team to Timika to investigate the shootings. He had earlier denied anyone had been shot but later said the shootings should not have happened, apologised and pledged to bring before a military court officers found to have opened fire - James Balowski.]