Geneva – Indonesian rights groups on Wednesday blasted the new review procedure at the UN Human Rights Council as empty rhetoric, saying Jakarta was able to hide behind regional allies to duck scrutiny.

"The expectation to have a transparent, meaningful and constructive process was hampered with self- and mutual exoneration statements and questions from the friends of Indonesia," said Rafendi Djamin from the Indonesian NGO Coalition for International Human Rights Advocacy.

The Council launched its much-vaunted Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of UN member states' rights records this week but the sessions so far have been fiercely criticised by NGOs for failing to subject countries to effective scrutiny.

UPR "has taken a new meaning as Universal Periodic Rhetoric, which leaves the victims of human rights violations outside the discussions," Rafendi told journalists.

Rafendi said that much of the three-hour discussion of Indonesia's rights record was taken up by bland and positive comments by the country's regional allies and members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.

Serious issues such as the rights of indigenous peoples and how they are impacted by forestry and mining operations were not raised at all, he said.

"The process of dialogue becomes an a la carte process which gives the delegation of Indonesia liberty to choose the questions they like. We have on the floor the Philippines, the Malaysians, the Singaporeans, the Thais, they're only praising, praising, and praising without giving any particular analysis about the real situation that we have in the region," he added.

The 47-member Council, with its 13 African and 13 Asian members, was created in June 2006 to replace the old UN Human Rights Commission, which had been criticised for having no bite.

But activists have slammed its reticence and passivity, saying it is more committed to saving face for its member states than actually taking care of human rights victims.

"We have continually lowered our expectations of what we can expect from the council. Despite our lower expectations the council still finds ways to disappoint," said Human Rights Watch campaign director Peggy Hicks at the end of the council's seventh session in Geneva last month.