5 May 2015

Amnesty renews calls for media access to Papua

4:00 pm on 5 May 2015

Amnesty International says media and NGO access to the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua remains impeded and has called on Indonesia to change its attitude to foreign observers.

Amnesty says President Joko Widodo promised, during his campaign in June 2014, to open up the regions.

The international group says it has great difficulty accessing the provinces, which makes it almost impossible to report on human rights abuses there.

Indonesia's Papua region: the provinces of West Papua and Papua

Indonesia's Papua region: the provinces of West Papua and Papua Photo: RNZ

Amnesty says Indonesian authorities should also release all prisoners of conscience in Papua and elsewhere in Indonesia.

It says the country must amend or repeal provisions on rebellion in the Criminal Code that have been used to imprison dozens of political activists for up to 15 years for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression, including for raising or waiving pro-independence flags.