Jakarta – Commenting on the recent government claim that it was unaware of escalating tensions in Papua prior to a bloody crackdown at the Third Papuan Peoples Congress, lawmakers say it was well-informed of the situation months beforehand.

"Then State Intelligence Agency chief Sutanto informed the security commission on the possibility of an escalation of conflict in Papua at least three months before the congress. So how can the government now say it was left in the dark?" Hidayat Nur Wahid of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) said Wedne sday as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

Helmy Fauzi of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)concurred, saying there was no way President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Coordinating Legal, Political and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto could not have been aware of this situation.

"We regret that the government ignored the warnings. We could have avoided unnecessary bloodshed if the government paid more attention," he said.

Djoko, meanwhile, denied having received any information from BIN regarding an escalation of tension in Papua ahead of the congress. "I have just spoken to the BIN chief and he mentioned nothing about that," he said.

National Police officers shot at and beat participants in the Third Papuan People's Congress, shortly after the congress declared an independent state of Papua. The incident claimed the lives of six people and injured dozens of others.

National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo, however, has denied that police handled the incident with excessive violence, claiming that the actions were a justifiable response to the congress aim to form an independent Papuan state.