UN troops are patrolling the streets of the East Timor capital Dili after riots in which at least one person was killed and several were torched.
At least 30 people have been arrested and more will be detained, said a spokesman for Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri.
The prime minister's residence was attacked and burned in the riots, which were the worst since independence on May 20th.
United Nations and other officials said the trouble began at parliament. Shots were fired and one student was killed after a large crowd demanding the release of an arrested student went on the rampage there. At least 1,000 people were involved in the disturbances.
President Xanana Gusmao later met protesters to try to halt the violence.
A government spokesman denied a state of emergency had been declared, contrary to an earlier statement from Internal Affairs Minister Rogerio Lobato.
Some government officials said they suspected a radical group known as RDTL was behind the student-led unrest. "This is an orchestrated manoeuvre to topple the government," Mr Lobato said.
He blamed people linked to RDTL, a hardline nationalist group which has been tied to previous unrest and was not part of the mainstream independence movement during Indonesian occupation.
The demonstration was the second in less than two weeks against the police. On November 26th, a local resident was shot and killed when protesters tried to storm the police station in Baucau, East Timor's second city.
AFP