Indonesian police have opened fire on demonstrators near the capital, wounding seven people and raising fears about human and political rights just weeks after the democratic election of new President Bambang Yudhoyono.

Officers fired shotguns at a group of about 2,000 residents who tried to burn down a controversial new garbage plant on Monday at Bojong village, near Bogor, not far from Yudhoyono's home south of Jakarta.

The plant had been guarded by about 10 local police and an equal number of paramilitary officers of the Mobile Brigade, or Brimob, which has a notorious human rights record.

But the police were overwhelmed by the demonstrators, who carried sticks and rocks which they used to destroy buildings and smash vehicles, including a police car.

The officers used tear gas before firing into the crowd and fleeing the scene to await dozens of riot gear-equipped reinforcements.

Human rights activists said the shootings were reminiscent of brutal police tactics during the dark days of the Suharto dictatorship, which ended amid street riots in May 1998 after police opened fire on students demonstrating outside Trisakti University in Jakarta, killing four.

"Shooting by the police should really be a last resort," Ifdhal Kasim, the executive director of the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy, said.

They also raised fresh questions over the hiring of police by private companies to guard threatened facilities.

Australian gold miner Newcrest was using Brimob as a de facto security force when an anti-mine demonstrator was shot dead last January in North Maluku province.

National Police Chief Da'i Bachtiar flew to the scene after Bogor Police chief Bambang Wasgito blamed Brimob, saying the shootings were unauthorised and would be investigated.

"The Mobile Brigade officers fired their rifles. Their presence at the plant had nothing to do with us," he told the Jakarta Post newspaper.

"The company hired them without coordinating with us."

General Da'i said 14 officers would be investigated.

"There must be an investigation of our own personnel," he said.

"Were conditions that bad to warrant such actions?"

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