Police say 1 soldier killed in Indonesia's Papua protest

Police say an Indonesian soldier has been killed and five police officers injured in a violent protest in the restive Papua region.

National police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo says a peaceful protest by 150 people against racism at the Deiyai district chief’s office turned violent on Wednesday when suddenly thousands of others tried to storm the building with arrows and machetes from various directions.

He could not confirm local media reports that security forces responded by opening fire and killing six people, citing communication difficulties after the government blocked internet access in the region since last week.

A number of protests have roiled Papua since last week, triggered by videos circulated on the internet showing security forces calling Papuan students “monkeys” and “dogs.”