Papuan souvenirs, songs feature in Independence Day ceremony at palace

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Wed, 08/17/2011

Thepresidential palace distributed Papua-themed souvenirs during the ceremony tocommemorate Indonesia’s 66th Independence Day on the palace’s front lawn.

Each guestattending the ceremony received a goody bag containing a Papua-themed T-shirt,mug and book, as well as a collection of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’sspeeches and a few snacks, among other things.

Papuansongs by a choir, which included a number of Papuans, also greeted guests asthey arrived at the palace.

Demands forPapua’s independence have escalated recently after thousands of Papuans acrossthe province staged coordinated rallies to call for a referendum on Papuanindependence.

The IndependenceDay ceremony at the palace was led by President Yudhoyono, tempointeraktif.comreported

Australian project hunts lost indigenous languages

BBC News, 12August 2011

Indigenous communities number under half a million in today's Australia

RelatedStories 

• Australia backs indigenous rights
• A state of limbo
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Librariansin Australia have launched a three-year project to rediscover lost indigenouslanguages.

The NewSouth Wales State Library says fragments of many lost languages exist in papersleft by early settlers.

BeforeBritish colonialisation began there in 1788, around 250 aboriginal languageswere spoken in Australia by an estimated one million people.

Only a fewdozen languages remain and the communities number around 470,000 people in anation of 22 million.

'Unrivalled'accounts

"Anation's oral and written language is the backbone to its culture," saidthe Arts Minister of New South Wales, George Souris.

"Thepreservation of the languages and dialects of our indigenous citizens is a veryimportant project in this regard."

NoelleNelson, the acting chief executive of Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto,which is backing the project, said the settlers' first-hand accounts at theState Library are "unrivalled".

"Thesefirst-hand accounts are often the only surviving records of many indigenous languages,"Nelson told the AFP news agency.

"Theproject will introduce and reconnect people with indigenous culture."

AnAustralian government survey in 2004 found that only 145 indigenous languageswere still spoken in Australia and that 110 of these were severely orcritically endangered.

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Academics call for end to military approach in Papua

Bagus BTSaragih, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 08/11/

A group of18 professors from the country’s top universities released a statement Thursdaycalling on the government to use dialogue instead of military force to addressproblems in Papua.

Theso-called Academic Forum for a Peaceful Papua said separatism was not astandalone problem in Papua and therefore deploying military troops would neverbring to an end the conflicts ravaging the region.

“Using gunswill never solve the problem because the issues are not only about separatism.The complexity of the problems in Papua involve many other factors includinghistory, politics, economics, sociocultural issues and of course welfare.Papua’s issues cannot be simplified to only separatism,” the group said in astatement sent to The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

To addresssuch a complex problems, the academics said, peaceful dialogue must be used.“Only by using dialogue we can root out the problems in Papua and find the bestway to solve them,” they said.

The groupincludes Padang State University’s Mestika Zed, Hasanuddin University’s ArfinHamid, Gajah Mada University’s Purwo Santoso, and University of Indonesia’sMuridan S. Widjojo.

Last week,a string of deadly events took place across Papua while thousands of Papuansrallied to demand a referendum.

Clashes betweensupporters of candidates for regent of newly Puncak regency claimed at least 21lives followed by the killing of four people by gunfire and machetes in theprovincial capital of Jayapura.

TheIndonesian Military has, as always, blamed the violence partly on the FreePapua Movement (OPM).

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‘Paradise’ Found in Wilds of Papua

Jakarta Globe, Jerome Rivet, July 03, 2011

Papuan tribesmen perform with traditional drums known as ‘tibas’ during the
Lake Sentani festival in Indonesia’s eastern Papua province.
AFP Photo/Romeo Gacad

For decades, the only foreign visitors to venture into Papua were gold-diggers, anthropologists, missionaries and soldiers fighting imperial wars.

But the vast, western half of New Guinea island is slowly opening its doors to tourists as a “hidden paradise,” a land of ancient tribal cultures, glittering reefs, soaring glaciers and teeming wildlife.

Recreational travelers number a few thousand a year at most: people like Sarah Gabel, a 29-year-old American who says she is “captivated by people who live in harmony with nature.”

That’s what she found in the Baliem Valley, the long-isolated home of the Dani tribe high in the Papuan central highlands, outside the town of Wamena.

“I made a one-week trek. I crossed rivers in the wild, slept in huts and met semi-naked men hunting wild boars with arrows,” she said.

This kind of “ethnic tourism” is growing in New Guinea, the largest island in Asia, where a thousand indigenous tribes are divided between the independent state of Papua New Guinea to the east and the Indonesian-controlled provinces of Papua and West Papua to the west.

“The clients come mostly from Europe and the US. They don’t look for five-star hotels but want to discover unknown territories and authenticity,” explained Iwanta Perangin-Angin, whose agency, Papua Adventure, offers stays in Baliem.

Packed with exotic wildlife, Papua also attracts nature buffs and ornithologists in search of birds of paradise and cockatoos. Environment group WWF last week announced the discovery of more than 1,000 new species on New Guinea, including a frog with fangs and a round-headed dolphin.

The Raja Ampat marine park has also earned a reputation as a diving mecca, with more and more live-aboard boats offering extended voyages around the area’s dozens of pristine reefs. “Papua is a hidden paradise. It’s a unique destination with a lot to offer, from wild beaches to high mountains and deep jungle, with a strong culture and beautiful art,” said Azril Azahari, a professor at Trisakti University Institute of Tourism,

“It’s a niche market because it’s very expensive and visitors need to be in good shape to support the climate, the hilly landscape and the very basic transport.”

And then there’s the political situation. Indonesian troops are accused of widespread human rights abuses against indigenous tribes which have been waging a low-level separatist war since the 1960s, often armed with little more than slings and arrows.

Foreign journalists and aid workers are barred from visiting the resource-rich provinces of Papua to report on the rebellion.

“The political situation has been quiet for some time but Papua is still seen abroad as an unsafe destination. The government has to do something to change this reputation,” Azahari said.

“It is essential to develop grassroots, community-based tourism which benefits local people and increases their incomes. The future doesn’t lie with luxury resorts.”

Others warn against the worst outcomes of “ethnic tourism,” such as promoting tribal people as “primitive” when they are not. This is already happening in the form of reconstructions of tribal wars. When tourists arrive, the Dani men take off their shorts and T-shirts, paint their bodies and attach traditional penis gourds known as “kotekas.”

“Papuans are very proud of their traditions but they are weakened by the modern world,” said Yotam Yorgen Fonataba, organizer of an annual cultural festival at Sentani Lake, near the Papuan provincial capital of Jayapura.

“I’m still optimistic our culture is strong and we want to protect it. For this, we need to show the world our creativity.”

Launched four years ago, the festival brings together thousands of people from 24 communities scattered around the huge lake. To the rhythm of traditional drums known as “tibas,” warriors sing haunting tribal songs while dancers, clad in richly colored costumes, sway on boats that glide across the still lake.

A student choir sings a song which goes: “I am Papuan, I have dark skin, I have curly hair. Papua, a piece of heaven fallen on the Earth.”

Agence France-Presse

Tribe on Papua New Guinea meets white man for the first time. Filmed in 1976.

.

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Festival exposes Papuan tourism charms

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura | Tue, 06/21/2011

The fourth Sentani Lake Festival, which commenced in Jayapura, Papua, on Monday, is expected to encourage the participation of local people and more foreign tourists.

“The festival aims to preserve cultural value, as well as promote wonderful Indonesia,” said Cultural and Tourism Ministry official M. Faried.

The festival will be highlighted with a performance of 1,040 daro dancers from 26 ethnic villages around Sentani Lake. Traditional boats, called Iso solo will be prepared as the performance stage.

A troop of 600 dancers will also present warring dances on the boats.

The opening ceremony on Monday drew up the curtain for 1,000 people who beat tifas, (traditional drums) from East Indonesia. The performance carried the message of the festival, which is themed “Sound of Tifa, Sound of Life.”

First held in 2008, the festival is reported to have been able to increase the number of visitors from home and abroad to experience the tourism appeal around Sentani.

“In 2008, foreign tourists accounted for only 85 people. It became 94 in 2009 and 104 in 2010. We are expecting more visitors this year,” Jayapura Regent Habel Melkias Suwae said.

Tourism observer Azril Azhari from Trisakti University Jakarta said Sentani had good prospects to be developed further into an interesting tourism site. The accessible transportation and hotels should be able to support the enrichment of Sentani’s tourism promotion and cultural attractions, he said.

Head of the organizing committee Ana Saway expected an increase in transaction value from the festival, which will run until Thursday.

“In 2010, the five-day festival could reach transactions worth Rp 6 billion [US$700,000]. Hopefully, that will increase this year,” he said.

Two prehistoric burial sites found in Papua

Antara News, Mon, April 11 2011

"The finds are very interesting. The two burial sites show that prehistoric people living in mountain areas had different raditions"

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) - The Jayapura Archeology Service has found two prehistoric burial sites in Papua province`s Pegunungan Bintang district.

One of the burial sites was located at Kabiding Hamlet, Oksibil subdistrict and the other one at Wanbakok Hamlet, Serambakon subdistrict.

"The finds are very interesting. The the two burial sites show that prehistoric people living in mountain areas had different raditions," a researcher of the Jayapura Archeology Service, Rini Maryone, said here Monday.

According to Rini, the tribes in Pegunungan Bintang District had a prehisroric cave burial tradition, different from those residing in Pegunungan Tengah District.

For example, the Dani tribe who live in Wamena and Tolikara, have a tradition of cremating their dead instead of entombing them ad in caves, Rini said.

Some artifacts such as splinter stones, square stone axes, were found inside and outside the burial cave sites.

The artifacts indicated that prehistoric humans in the region had a hunting and gathering tradition, Rini said.

Besides the two burial sites, The Jayapura Archeology Agency also found a prehistoric cave related to the worship ritual conducted in Okmakok Hamlet, Oksibil District.

Therefore, Rini asked the local authority to develop the prehistoric sites as potential tourism spots as well as to generate new knowledge from the prehistoric sites.

"The sites definitely have great cultural values," Rini said, adding that the local people should also preserve the prehistoric sites.

Editor: Aditia Maruli

Is Hip-Hop the Rhythm of Papua?

Jakarta Globe, Katrin Figge | April 10, 2011

Dancers from ‘We Are From the East,’ choreographer Jecko Siompo’s
exploration of the connection between hip-hop and Papuan traditional dance.
(Photo courtesy of Goethe-Institut)

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A group of 10 dancers kneel on the floor. The upper bodies of the male dancers are painted in black and white while their female counterparts wear short brown dresses. They slowly raise their bodies to the rhythm of drums amplified over loudspeakers to a heart-stilling thunder. As they rise, they move in unison with the music and, as the beat gets faster, so do their movements. Eventually the stage becomes a whirling blur of movement, limbs twisting and bodies twirling with speed and grace.

This is a scene from “We Came From the East,” a new dance production by Indonesian choreographer Jecko Siompo.

“Hip-hop was born in Papua. You don’t have to believe me. But my great-grandmother told me,” Jecko boldly declared during a press conference at the Goethe-Institut in Jakarta on Thursday.

Jecko was referring chiefly to dance moves from Papua, which he claims form the foundation of the hip-hop and modern street dancing movements, rather than hip-hop music.

This theory underpins “We Came From the East.” One of Jecko’s main goals for the performance is to show, through his choreography, how ancient, traditional dances from his native Papua became the basis of modern hip-hop and breakdancing.

During the hour-long show, his troupe of dancers — eight from Indonesia and two from Germany — use dynamic performances to illustrate the connection between traditional and modern styles, bringing together folklore and pop culture. The production also features Jecko’s signature choreography style, which he calls “animal pop” because it is based on the movements of wild creatures.

“We Came From the East” will be performed at the Goethe-Institut on Tuesday night before the troupe travels to Hamburg, Germany, for the show’s official world premier a week later. It will have a run in Berlin in August before traveling to Singapore and Melbourne in October.

“We hope that we can convince Jecko to perform ‘We Came From the East’ again next year,” said Frank Werner, the head of cultural programs at the Goethe-Institut.

“That’s because there is one thing that is quite typical of Jecko’s pieces — they change, they grow and they get better over time.”

“They’re like a good bottle of red wine,” he added with a laugh. “They mature.”

In fact, Jecko and Goethe-Institut share quite a long history.

“Our collaboration with Jecko is almost a decade old,” Werner said. “It all started in 2002, when Jecko staged a premiere here.”

That same year, Jecko received a scholarship from the German Cultural Institute to study at the renowned Folkwang Dance Studio in Essen, Germany. A graduate of the Jakarta Arts Institute, he has been a guest at international dance festivals and meetings around the world, both as a dancer and a choreographer, ever since.

Werner said that the show’s international tour proved that Jecko has, in addition to becoming a renowned choreographer in Indonesia, managed to make his mark outside of his home country.

“Of course, we feel very privileged and proud that Jecko always chooses the Goethe-Institut as the first stage to present his pieces, which makes us part of his international success,” Werner said. “But actually, it is more than just a collaboration — it has to be seen within the larger framework of ‘Tanzconnexions.’ ”

Tanzconnexions (Dance Connections) is a five-year project put on by the Goethe-Institut that aims to foster artistic exchanges in the fields of dance and choreography between Asia and Europe through workshops and co-productions.

In fact, “We Came From the East” can be considered a co-production between Jecko, the Goethe-Institut Indonesia, Kampnagel Hamburg, Hebbel-am-Ufer Berlin (both theaters in Germany), and the Esplanade-Theaters on the Bay in Singapore.

In early 2010, Jecko was invited by Kampnagel Hamburg to present his piece, “Room Exit,” which helped him gain renown at an international level.

Werner said, “‘Tanzconnexions’ contributed a lot to making Jecko’s latest production happen, but, in the end, it is his artistic skill, experience and genius that makes it a wonderful piece.”

‘We Came From The East’

Tuesday, April 12, 8 p.m.

Goethe-Institut

Jl. Sam Ratulangi No. 9-15, Menteng, Central Jakarta

Tel: 021 2355 0208

www.goethe.de/tanzconnexions

Indonesia Rolling Out New Plan to Lift Growth in Papua

Jakarta Globe, Camelia Pasandaran | February 16, 2011

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The government has announced that it would issue new guidelines next month on boosting development in the restive provinces of Papua and West Papua.

The implementation of the guidelines, to be issued in a presidential decree, will be coordinated by the new Government Unit to Accelerate Development in Papua and West Papua (UP4B), the vice president’s office said on Monday.

Yopie Hidayat, a spokesman for Vice President Boediono, said the new policy was expected to “gain optimum results through centralized planning.”

The decree will call for, among other things, affirmative action for Papuans in certain sectors, integrating central and regional government planning and considering social and political factors in development programs.

Of Indonesia’s 33 provinces, Papua and West Papua receive the most money from the budget.

While the government allocated Rp 30 trillion ($3.3 billion) on developing the region last year, local activists claim much of that money was lost through corruption within the local administration.

Yopie said that under the new decree, graft would be eliminated by getting the Papua and West Papua governors directly involved in policy formulation.

“They’ll serve as checks on one another,” he said. “The spending will also be better prioritized to provide greater benefits for Papuans.”

Beside managing the budget, the UP4B will also work to address other challenges, Yopie said.

“It will take social and political problems in each region into account when formulating development policy,” he said. “So it won’t just be about business or project distribution, but also addressing development on a regional basis.”

The decree will also call for affirmative action for native Papuans, who have long complained about the favorable treatment afforded to migrants from other parts of the country.

However, the decree will not call for an end to transmigration, as demanded by activists.

Despite being resource-rich and receiving the biggest allocation of all provinces from the state budget, the region remains largely underdeveloped.

Many Papuans accuse the government of unfairly distributing the revenue from resources mined there, while a low-level insurgency has persisted for decades, fueled in part by the torture and ill-treatment of Papuans by security forces.

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United States Welcome to Monitor Torture Trial: Indonesia Military

Jakarta Globe, Markus Junianto Sihaloho | January 14, 2011

Jakarta. The Indonesian Military says it welcomes the United States governments pledge to closely monitor the trials of three Indonesian soldiers accused of torturing two Papuans.

TNI spokesman First Admiral Iskandar Sitompul said on Friday that the military tribunal — described by Human rights activists as a sham — was open to the public and anyone was permitted to attend the hearings.

“For us, interest in the case from anyone is not a form of [foreign] intervention. The trial is open to the public,” Iskandar said.

He claimed, however, that the legal process must be conducted independently by those involved in the legal process.

“[The United States] knows this and they will respect it.”

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Indonesia to submit three cultural assets to UNESCO

Antara News, Monday, December 27, 2010

Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - Indonesia will submit three of its national cultural assets to UNESCO in 2011 to be appraised for inclusion in its list of World Cultural Heritages, a culture ministry official said.

"The three cultural assets to be submitted to UNESCO are a number of Balinese dances, the indigenous Papua household article called Noken, and the Beautiful Indonesia in Miniature Park (TMII)," said Harry Waluyo, director of the Cultural and Tourism Resources Agency (BSDKP) at the Culture and Tourism Ministry said here on Monday.

Waluyo said the three cultural assets will be submitted to UNESCO because they represent geographical parts of Indonesia outside Java. So far, the cultural assets for which Indonesia had proposed recognition as World Heritages by UNESCO were those of Java such as the Angklung (bamboo musical instrument) from West Java, batik cloth, wayang puppets from Central Java.

After the selection of cultural assets from Java, our next choice of Indonesian cultural assets to be submitted to UNESCO are articles or things from Bali and Papua," Waluyo said.

He said nine kinds of Balinese dances each representing a particular region in Bali would be proposed to UNESCO.

From Papua, the cultural asset to be nominated is the Noken, a Papuan people`s icon. The Noken, or Agiya, is a multi-purpose household device made of strong forest fibres in which Papuan women put their babies to lull them to sleep, or hogs, food items or clothes.

Nowadays, the Noken is decorated with certain colorful ornaments to make it look mroe attractive. A Noken can be bought at traditional markets in Papua for Rp 15,000- Rp100,000.

The TMII in East Jakarta, constructed in 1971, is a park reflecting the cultural richness of each Indonesian province, It was selected for submission to UNESCO on the consideration that the concept could serve as a model of non-material cultural management to other countries.

The process for the submission of the three cultural assets to UNESCO had already started and would end on March 31, 2011.

Apart from the three cultural assets, UNESCO in 2011 would announce the unique Saman dancing from Aceh province as a World Cultural Heritage.

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President SBY officiates five new colleges in Papua

The Jakarta Post | Mon, 11/22/2010

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) officiated five new universities in Papua on Monday.

The universities were Musamus Merauke University, Borneo Tarakan University, Bangka Belitung University, Babel Polytechnic and Batam Polytechnic, Antara news portal reported.

The President officiated the institutions after delivering a speech at the National Student Executive Board conference at Cendrawasih University.

The President signed five tablets, as his entourage, guests and the chiefs of the Student Executive Board looked on.

All of the new colleges are located near the state border.

In his speech, Yudhoyono said the new institutions were intended to improve the education sector, which was one of the keys to national development.

“It will also improve the quality of human resources in colleges,” he said.

SBY was accompanied by First Lady Ani Kristianti, Coordinating Minister for Public Welfare Minister Agung Laksono, Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi, Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo, Minister of Agriculture Suswono, State Secretary Sudi Silalahi, National Education Minister Muhammad Nuh, Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam, Indonesian Military chief Adm. Agus Suhartono, and National Police Chief Gen. Timur Pradopo.

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Reggae Ringtone Sparks Tribal Violence in Papua

Jakarta Globe, Banjir Ambarita | November 17, 2010

Jayapura, Papua. Dozens of homes and motorcycles were burned and three people suffered serious wounds on Wednesday following tribal violence in the city of Jayapura.

One of the houses burned by mobs during the riots
between Wamena and Yoka tribes in Yoka village,
Papua. (JG Photo/Banjir Ambarita)

Hundreds of residents of the Wamena tribe attacked the neighboring Yoka tribe on Wednesday morning, burning 23 homes, 12 motorcycles and two cars, with another 56 homes damaged during the violence, according to the local administration.

The weapons that caused the serious injuries were identified as a bow, an axe and an air rifle.

As hundreds of members of the Wamena tribe descended from the mountains in a fury on Wednesday morning, those in the Yoka tribe could only attempt to save themselves.

Police arrived shortly after the attacks occurred, and fired warning shots into the air. The shots brought an end to the violence.

The attack was triggered by an offensive ringtone circulating among the Yoka tribe that allegedly contained insulting lyrics directed at the Wamena tribe, playing to a reggae beat.

Residents of Wamena decided that they would not tolerate the insults, and therefore made plans to attack the Yoka tribe at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.

“Hundreds of them could no longer accept it. They felt it was an insult to their dignity,” Jayapura Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Imam Setiawan said, adding that the man who created the ringtone and sang the lyrics to the reggae beat has already been detained in police custody for questioning.

Imam Setiawan confirmed that the major cause of the attack was the offensive ringtone created by the locals of the Yoka tribe.

“No fatalities were caused as a result of this incident. But we need to check which tribe the three injured victims belong to.”

Tribal wars still happen from time to time in West Papua, where many people live according to indigenous traditions.

In July, the district of Tolikara managed to end a tribal war that saw 75 people wounded by arrows, and one by an axe. The conflict was triggered by a family quarrel and violence, he said.

Local man Apius Wenda had a quarrel with his wife, Betina Wendik, in July and beat her . Betina later ran away to her relatives’ house complaining of her husband’s violent behavior.

The wife’s relatives retaliated by assaulting Apius Wenda when he came to pick her up. Fighting among the relatives eventually escalated into a communal war.

Police seized six cleavers, 13 knives, 50 arrows and six bows used in the attacks.

Int`l conference on Papua culture ends with several recommendations

Antara News, Friday, November 12, 2010 19:18 WIB

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) - An international conference on Papua`s cultural diversity in Indonesia`s cultural mosaic was concluded on Thursday with a number of recommendations.

Lake Sentani Festival

Participant from UNDP, Tuan Wisnu, who acted as deputy chairman of drafting team said here on Friday that a number of important recommendations were produced in the four-day conference that took place on November 8-11, 2010.

"The drafting team, made up of academics, researchers, experts, and some participants of the conference, formulated a number of important recommendations," Tuan Wisnu said.

He said the recommendations covered among others the importance to respect and fully support Papua provincial government`s effort to conduct a conference of Papua cultural diversity, to encourage the local government to facilitate and inventorize Papua culture, and to develop Papua cultural heritage through a research and documentation, to encourage the local people including youth and women participation in cultural preservation, and to encourage the central government to preserve Papua cultural diversity.

According to Tuan Wisnu, the recommendations were part of the drafting team`s cooperation during the four-day international conference on Papua cultural diversity.

"The recommendations are the result of the drafting team`s hard-work during the conference," Tuan Wisnu said, adding that the gathering was participated in by 80 foreign participants from various countries and 300 domestic participants with different background of specialties.

He said the participants were made up of academics and representatives from culture and tourism offices from Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, New Caledonia, and religious community of non government organizations in Papua.

The conference was organized by Papua Province in cooperation with Tourism and Culture Ministry, UNDP Indonesia, WWF, and UNESCO.

Aboriginal elder Max Eulo performs a 'Welcome to Country' ceremony
on Goat Island in Sydney Harbour on April 18, 2010.

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Indonesian president vows 'no immunity' for torturers

RNW, 1 November 2010

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Monday there was "no immunity" for members of the country's armed forces, after a video showed them torturing unarmed civilians in Papua.

He told a weekly cabinet meeting that the soldiers involved would be punished and rejected international pressure over the issue ahead of talks in Jakarta with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

"It became a news topic in various international media and we must take steps. Not because of pressure from anyone," he said.

"That (torture) is not this country's policy. If there's a violation, we will pass sanctions. There's no immunity."

As Gillard arrived in Jakarta for Tuesday's talks, military chief Agus Suhartono said five suspects had been identified and their files had been passed to military prosecutors. He did not name the suspects.

The video, which appeared online, showed two Papuan men being kicked and abused as soldiers interrogated them over the whereabouts of a weapons cache. One screams in pain when a burning stick is applied to his genitals.

The video, first reported in The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, follows similar allegations against Australian-funded Indonesian anti-terror police said to have abused peaceful political activists in the Maluku islands.

Papua and the Malukus have underground separatist movements which Indonesia regards as threats to its territorial unity. Activists are regularly given lengthy jail terms for crimes such as possessing outlawed rebel flags.

New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged Gillard to press Indonesia for a full investigation into torture by its military during her talks with Yudhoyono.

Yudhoyono said however that Indonesia needed no outside pressure to "do what needs to be done".

"I read in the news... Australia has been asked to pressure Indonesia to carry out an investigation. I say there's no need to pressure Indonesia," he said.

"There should be no pressure from any country or any non-government organisation."

Australia has worked closely with the Indonesian security forces since 88 Australian tourists were killed in the 2002 Bali bombings by Islamist extremists.

Few Indonesian military officers have ever faced justice for gross human rights abuses dating back decades, including alleged crimes against humanity in East Timor.

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