Amnesty International has condemned Indonesian security forces for "appalling" practices in Papua, Aceh and elsewhere and urged the United Nations Commission on Human Rights not to ignore the situation.

"Our message to the commission is that it cannot ignore the human rights situation in Indonesia any longer," Amnesty said in a statement obtained Thursday. "As the UN's highest body on human rights it must show consistency by acting now to condemn the appalling human rights practices of the security forces in Papua, Aceh and elsewhere in Indonesia."

The statement was quoting a speech by Lucia Withers, Indonesian researcher for the private international rights group, made in Geneva on Wednesday on the sidelines of a meeting of the UN body. The UN commission has called for rights offenders in East Timor in 1999 to be brought to trial. But Withers said that "just because neither the world's media or the UN is in Papua to witness the violations, does not mean that they are not happening."

She cited "grave human rights violations" in Papua, where a low-level armed revolt for independence has been waged for decades. A separatist revolt is also being waged in Aceh.

Withers said Jakarta had mounted five separate investigations into the murder last November of the leader of Papau's civilian independence movement, Theys Eluay, but no one had been charged. The military has admitted that its members may be responsible. "Amnesty International fears that this plethora of investigations is being used to obstruct the case from being brought to trial," she said.

Other Papuan political leaders had been put on trial, pro-independence demonstrations had been violently broken up and security forces had mounted "indiscriminate operations" against whole communities in retaliation for attacks.

Withers said the police mobile brigade Brimob, in what "appeared to be little short of a frenzy of revenge," was believed to have detained, tortured or otherwise ill-treated 150 people in Manokwari district in the second half of 2001, after five Brimob members were shot dead.

She said at least one person was known to have died in police custody. "The number that were unlawfully killed or 'disappeared' is as yet unknown."

Withers also said the UN commission should press Indonesia to ensure that its current human rights trials for offenders in East Timor are conducted fairly. "Amnesty International welcomes this process but is seriously concerned that these trials could fail because basic safeguards have not been put in place," she said.