"A total of 20 officers out of the 52 were Mobile Brigade, 17 Sabhara riot police officers, six Lambu police precinct officers and two police field controllers," Nasution said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The number of police officers who have been questioned over the violence in last Saturday`s clash at the Sape ferry port in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara reached 52, a police spokesman said.

Head of the National Police`s public relations division Inspector General Saud Usman Nasution made the statement here on Wednesday, adding that the violence left two people dead.

"A total of 20 officers out of the 52 were Mobile Brigade, 17 Sabhara riot police officers, six Lambu police precinct officers and two police field controllers," Nasution said.

The two dead victims were identified as Arief Rachman,18 and Syaiful,17, he cited.

The question was conducted by the general supervision inspectorate, internal affairs and professional divisions of the National Police Headquarters, he said, informing that six persons were also questioned over the case.

According to him, police carried out a law enforcement action at 8 am against demonstrators who had occupied a ferry bridge in Sape led by West Nusa Tenggara regional police chief and arrested provocateurs while those who held out were taken to the Bima resort police station.

People had set fire to the Lambu police sector station and other government offices. An inventory of the burned buildings was still being made.

The police spokesman also said, the law enforcement action was taken because demonstrators from the Anti-Mining People`s Front had occupied and blocked activities at the Sape ferry port since December 19.

The action was part of the Operation Candle 2011 and was also taken because the demonstrators had disrupted public order and the ferry port`s operations.

The demonstrators had demanded the revocation of the district head`s decision number 188 of 2010 that allowed PT Sumber Mineral Nusantara to conduct mineral explorations in the region.

Nasution also said, nine guns used by police in Saturday`s incident were confiscated and sent to the National Police `s forensic laboratory.

"We are handling this case in a transparent and accountable way. The situation in Bima, meanwhile, is now conducive again," he added.

In addition, the demonstrators had also asked suspect AS who had been handed over to the prosecutor`s office to be released.

AS was suspected of having provoked the torching of the Lambu sub-district head`s residence on March 10, 2011.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011