19 Oct 2005

Indonesia invites European Union ambassadors to visit Papua province

5:32 pm on 19 October 2005

The Indonesian government has invited European Union ambassadors to visit the province of Papua.

The Dutch foreign minister Bernard Bot says the visit of a troika of EU ambassadors to Papua must take place as soon as possible.

But activists in Britain say the government there has declined Indonesia's invitation.

The Oxford Free West Papua Campaign says the Netherlands has become frustrated with the British position.

Indonesia is refusing to let a Jakarta-based Radio New Zealand International correspondent and other international media representatives visit Papua.

The human rights group Amnesty International has been unable to visit Papua since 2002.

Earlier this year, Indonesia prevented a delegation of Dutch MPs from visiting Papua.