By Marco Aquino
COBIJA, Bolivia (Reuters) - Bolivian troops on Mondaystarted rounding up people accused of organizing protestsagainst leftist President Evo Morales in a remote Amazonprovince where martial law has shuttered schools andbusinesses.
Clashes between Morales' supporters and opponents killed upto 30 people in Pando province last week as protests flaredacross the poor nation's eastern lowlands against thepresident's drive to redistribute land and change theconstitution.
The streets of Pando's small capital, Cobija, were nearlydeserted on Monday and protesters demanding greater regionalautonomy continued to occupy government agencies, including thecustoms office.
Isolated gunshots were heard during the night in the cityof about 32,000 people, surrounded by the dense Amazon junglein the heart of South America, where rubber and Brazil nuts areproduced.
Amanda Saumero said soldiers arrested her son, Hugo Apaza,during early on Monday.
"They pushed me onto the couch and wouldn't let me get up,asking where my son was. I told them he wasn't here, but theywent through my entire house anyway. They found him and tookhim away," she said between sobs. She said her son works inlogging and is not active in politics.
About 60 soldiers used dynamite to break down the door tothe house of opposition activist Ana Melena. Her neighbourssaid they ransacked the house and hauled away a computer.
BLOODSHED
The army said it arrested 10 people overnight and foundweapons that could be linked to the deaths of some pro-Moralespeasant farmers last Thursday.
The federal government said it is still not sure how manypeople died on Thursday, after officials had released numbersranging from 14 to 28. Two more people were killed later at aclash at the Cobija airport.
"We want people to feel calm. We're identifying the peoplewho are linked to illegal activity," said Gen. Walter Panozo,who is enforcing martial law in Pando.
Soldiers have only taken to the streets at night, leavinglaw enforcement to the police during the day.
The Morales administration has ordered the arrest ofPando's opposition governor, Leopoldo Fernandez, accusing himof ordering hitmen to kill the farmers on Thursday.
Fernandez denied the charges and told Reuters in aninterview in Cobija that he was carrying out his normal dutieson Monday.
"We're going to stay right here to resist this state ofsiege," said Fernandez, 56, of the rightist opposition partyPodemos. He said Morale is trying to impose Cuban-stylecommunism on Bolivia.
"I want to tell Morales to quit lying to the people. Theyshould really investigate what happened and stop blaming us fora massacre," he said.
Witnesses told local media Morales' supporters wereambushed on Thursday while they travelled in caravan to aregional assembly to discuss the worsening political crisis.
Local television showed images of people in civilianclothes shooting at peasant farmers, some of whom jumped in anearby river to escape.
Pando is one of four provinces that voted in favour ofgreater autonomy from the central government. Tarija province-- home to Bolivia's vast natural gas reserves -- agriculturalpowerhouse Santa Cruz, and Beni are the other three.
(Writing by Hilary Burke; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
