Agence France Presse in Jakarta – A human rights worker in the troubled Irian Jaya province was arrested yesterday for discrediting police by publicising the killing of three students by police, a fellow activist said.

Johannes Bonai, the director of the Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy (Elsham), was presented with an arrest warrant when he answered a summons to appear at the district police headquarters in the provincial capital, Jayapura, John Rumbiak of Elsham said. "He's charged with discrediting public officials," Mr Rumbiak said.

Irian Jaya police chief Brigadier-General Sylvanus Wenas confirmed police had served an arrest warrant on Mr Bonai and taken him in for questioning. "He ... was summonsed to clarify his statements that police had tortured and killed several people in detention," General Wenas said.

Mr Rumbiak said Mr Bonai was still being questioned five hours after his arrest. Earlier, Mr Bonai said he was facing arrest over a press conference on Thursday. He reported victims' accounts of an incident on December 7 in which police killed three students after a separatist attack.

"He must be able to prove his reports. If he is able to do that, I would question the Jayapura police chief ... but if he can't, he must take responsibility for slander," General Wenas said.

Mr Rumbiak said Elsham had stated in the conference that police were suspected of summary killings and torture.

A group, believed to be tribesmen from the central highlands of Irian Jaya, attacked a marketplace and a police station on the outskirts of Jayapura, killing two policemen and a security guard and setting fire to shops.

Enraged police immediately swooped on several nearby dormitories, home to hundreds of students from the central highlands, beating occupants with rifle butts. Police admitted killing three people, shooting one dead and killing two more with "other methods".

Neighbours and students said they saw police stab two male students after dragging them from the dormitory and beating them until their faces were "totally destroyed". Mr Bonai said police should have told their side of the story instead of arresting him.