Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Australian Government called on to investigate latest violence in Papua

Posted at 04:20 on 07 April, 2009 UTC

An Australian group says, with the increasing violence in Indonesia’s Papua region, the Australian Government should be sending observers to investigated the human rights situation there.

This comes after several dozen protestors were arrested in two clashes with the military.

One protester is reported to have been shot.

Joe Collins of the Australian West Papua Association says Canberra should immediately send observers from its embassy in Jakarta to report to the government on the current situation in Papua.

Mr Collins says it is in Australia’s interests to have a stable region to its north but this will not happen by ignoring what is going on in Papua.