Jakarta – The situation in Dumai municipility, 200 kms from the Riau capital of Pekanbaru, remained tense yesterday, as self-titled commander of Free Riau, Muhammad Sabri, continued to slam the shooting by police on Monday of four local protesters.

The four are now being treated at Pekanbaru police hospital for leg injuries, sustained when police fired shots to disperse a demonstration which turned violent. Protesters occupied state-owned oil company Pertamina's housing complex on Sunday to demand fair compensation for 1,305 hectares of land, allegedly unlawfully seized by the company.

Sabri demanded that police not act in a cruel manner toward protesters. If they did, he said, the Free Riau movement would set fire to Pertamina's oil depots.

Riau police spokesman Lieut. Col. S.Pandiangan told Detik yesterday that police had followed standard operating procedure when they attempted to disperse protesters. "Police fired dozens of warning shots. However, protesters, who were carrying sharp weapons, did not take any notice and decided to attack the police instead," Pandiangan told reporters.

He denied reports that the wounded protesters remain in a critical condition and said they had only suffered slight injuries. Police later held two locals for questioning.

Police remain on alert at a number of vital projects including the Pertamina and Caltex oil complexs as well as other industrial facilities in the city.