JARKATA 22 May (ANA) - Six people have been killed and 200 injured during mass rallies against the re-election of Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

 

Indonesian police confirmed the death toll based on reports from hospitals. They said the cause of the deaths was being investigated.

 

The national police chief has said the public should not assume police were responsible.

 

Social media has been restricted in some areas to stop rumours spreading.

 

National police chief Tito Karnavian denied that his officers had used live ammunition and called for calm.

 

"Some had gunshot wounds, some had blunt force wounds but we still need to clarify this," he said, referring to the six dead, who are believed to have been killed overnight on Tuesday.

 

The authorities have said the protests were planned and "not spontaneous". They have suggested that a group of provocateurs may have been responsible for the violence.

 

"A majority of the protesters came from outside of Jakarta," said Muhammed Iqbal, a police spokesman.

 

Protesters have been gathering again in the city on Wednesday.

 

Protests in the capital Jakarta started peacefully on Tuesday but soon turned violent, with cars set on fire and firecrackers thrown at police.

 

Police in riot gear fired tear gas to disperse the crowd.

 

The protests erupted after election results showed Mr Widodo had beaten his long-time rival Prabowo Subianto.(ANA)

FA/ANA/22 May 2019-------