The chairman of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) in Jayapura, Victor Mambor, has called on the press in Papua to regularly monitor cases of human rights violations in Papua.

'Reports written in the media about these violations are helpful to organisations that fight for the rights of the victims of violations,' he said, during a speech at a workshop on the Papuan perspective regarding human rights violations.

He stressed the importance of the role of the press in reporting the human rights situation in Papua because this can help reduce acts of repression against the civilian population.

'Reports about human rights in Papua are only available from NGOs active in the field, and these are frequently quoted in reports that appear in the media,' said Mambor.

He also sstressed the importance in ensuring that these published reports are accurate and credible. It was also important, he said, for journalists to provide the appropriate references so as to make it easier for others to investigate the violations that occur.