Jakarta – National Police Chief Gen. Timur Pradopo defended the police's actions against the participants of the third Papuan Peoples Congress, saying that the police had acted within the law.

He explained that the police had no choice but to dismiss the congress because it was considered as an act of treason.

"Everything was done based on the law. The police took those steps because there were clear violations, particularly of subversion," he said on Monday, as quoted by kompas.com.

The National Commission for Human Rights stated in its report that the police used verbal abuse in their efforts to dismiss the congress. The commission also recorded the damage and theft by police of 11 laptops, three printers, five digital cameras, tens of millions of rupiah, three motorbikes and three cars.

An investigation also revealed that three members of congress were killed in the riot, something the police say they are still looking into.

However, Timur was insistent that decisions made by the police were correct. "All the actions can be legally accounted for," he said.