Papua police accused over abuse

Papuans protested about the alleged abuses in Jakarta

Indonesian police have been accused of killing, raping and torturing civilians with impunity in the province of Papua.

The New York-based group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the most serious abuses were being carried out during the hunt for separatists.

Opposition to Indonesian rule in the isolated province has simmered since Jakarta took over from Dutch colonial control in 1963.

Indonesian Police Chief General Sutanto denied any abuses were taking place.

"The police have undertaken many reforms," he was quoted by the Associated Press as saying. "The human rights situation in Papua is getting better."

'Law unto themselves'

HRW documented 14 cases of alleged abuses in Papua's remote central highlands, with information compiled from interviews with victims and witnesses.

The group said that the worst abuses happened as police conducted sweeping operations in villages believed to house pro-independence groups.

These operations had caused thousands of people to leave their homes in fear, restricting their access to food and medical treatment, HRW said.

Police units also used excessive force to break up or control gatherings of people, leading to extra-judicial killings and other ill-treatment, according to the report.

"I wanted to scream but he had his hand over my mouth and then he forced me. I resisted but he still forced me," one 16-year-old unidentified rape victim was quoted in the report as saying.

Of the 14 cases, only one person - a security officer - had faced prosecution and jail, HRW added.

"The police are acting as a law unto themselves," Joseph Saunders, HRW deputy programme director, said.

"This is a serious breach of the public trust necessary for effective policing."

A key change from previous research is that the police, not the military, appears to be responsible for the majority of abuses, the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Jakarta says.

Around 100 Papuans protested outside the US embassy in Jakarta on Thursday, calling for a referendum on independence for the province.

"The nation of Papua has seen 44 years of sorrow," one protester's banner read.

Jakarta has been fighting a low-level insurgency for decades in the poor but resource rich province.

Small armed groups carry out sporadic attacks on economic and military targets in the province.