Jakarta – Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Secretary Irwan Hidayat has denied allegations that it provided rocks to demonstrators to be later used to fight the police. He said PMI had focused on helping wounded victims and those who had affected by tear gas.

"Thus the police previous statement that PMI supplied the masses with rocks is baseless and far from the truth," Irwan said on Wednesday, as quoted by tempo.co.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto had previously stated that the police found strong indications that one of PMI's ambulances was spotted transporting piles of rocks for demonstrators during yesterday's protests against the proposed fuel price hikes.

Irwan said as many as 12 ambulances and 36 personnel had been deployed to various places throughout the city to provide medical assistance, including Jl Merdeka Barat and the Presidential Palace.

"We evacuated 13 people to Cipto General Hospital, 12 to Tarakan Hospital and 30 to the Army Hospital both from the police and the mass of protestors," he said.(dic)