Indications religious fighting in Indonesia could spread emerged today when police in Papua province said they had confiscated explosives, weapons and banned videos of sectarian conflict in other parts of the country.
Elsham, a human rights group in the easternmost territory, claimed the nationalist militia group Satgas Merah Putih was operating in conjunction with the Islamic extremists Laskar Jihad to foment unrest in the town of Fak-Fak.
"There are indications that Satgas Merah Putih is preparing Fak-Fak regency as the main entrance for Laskar Jihad to Papua," the group said in a statement.
Fak-Fak lies on the east coast of New Guinea island and its population of 60,000 is dominated by Muslim transmigrants, who moved there from other parts of Indonesia under government schemes and make up 60 per cent of the community.
It neighbours the Maluku islands, where vicious fighting between Christians and Muslims has been underway for over three years, killing thousands.
Satgas Merah Putih has been active in the district of Fak-Fak for at least 18 months.
Its membership opposes independence for Papua, which many of the province's indigenous inhabitants support.
Police said they had arrested Ali Bauw, a resident of the island of Seram in southern Maluku.
They have accused Bauw of breaking Indonesia's emergency laws that cover treason after finding the weapons and video images of the fighting in Maluku.
However, Bauw would not say whether he belonged to any militia group, police said.
To date, the religious fighting that has torn apart the Maluku and threatens the Central Sulawesi district of Poso had not spread to Fak-Fak, according to its deputy police chief Daniel Priyo Dwiatmoko.
However, he suggested the conflict could spread from the Maluku.
"There hasn't been any religious conflict in Fak-Fak, that's why we are anticipating people will arrive from Maluku," Dwiatmoko said.