24 Jan 2012

Human Rights Watch calls for international access to Papua

11:10 am on 24 January 2012

Human Rights Watch says Indonesia's assertion that its security forces respect human rights in Papua can't be justified until it opens up the troubled region for international access.

Abuses by military forces in Papua region again feature prominently in the Indonesia section of the NGO's annual world report.

Despite few foreign journalists and researchers being allowed access to Papua, online social networks helped create an increased international focus on abuses in the region by Indonesian security forces.

Human Right's Watch's Phil Robertson says Indonesia displays a defensiveness when taken to task over the abuses.

"Their restrictions on international people, international observers and journalists going there allows the military to operate with impunity in Papua and the result is the sort of things that we see coming out on the internet."