Indonesia made progress in some areas last year in its transition to democracy, but the government's human rights record remains poor, the US State Department has said.
"Security forces were responsible for numerous instances of, at times indiscriminate, shooting of civilians, torture, rape, beatings and other abuse, and arbitrary detention in Aceh, West Timor, Papua . . . and elsewhere in the country," the department says in its worldwide report for 2001.
Soldiers often responded with indiscriminate violence after attacks on colleagues and conducted "sweeps" that led to killing of civilians and property destruction, according to the report.
Police and soldiers are battling separatist revolts in Aceh on Sumatra and in Papua on New Guinea island. The report accuses police, soldiers and the rebel Free Aceh Movement of "numerous extra-judicial killings" in Aceh.
In Papua, the State Department claims, security forces "assaulted, tortured, and killed persons during search operations for members of militant groups".
The government's failure to pursue accountability for human rights violations "reinforces the impression that there would be continued impunity for security force abuses," the report says.
The report also faults the legal system: "Despite initial steps toward reform, the judiciary remains subordinate to the executive, is corrupt and does not always ensure due process".
The government was ineffective "in deterring social, inter-ethnic and inter-religious violence that accounted for the majority of deaths by violence during the year," the report says.
AFP