At least five countries have used a human rights review at the United Nations to question Indonesia's failure to make any arrests in series of shooting incidents in Papua.

Poengky Indarti, executive director of activist group Imparsial, said on Sunday that 13 countries raised the issue during the UN's Universal Periodic Review in Geneva last week, with five of them specifically questioning the government's inability to capture those responsible for shooting civilians in the restive province.

"Germany, Canada, Britain, the Netherlands and France questioned the Indonesian government on its handling of human rights violations, such as torture of civilians, shootings and killings in Papua," Poengky told the Jakarta Globe.

"It's a big question why such a large police and military presence there has failed to result in anyone being arrested for the attacks. Furthermore, their presence in the area has also failed to deter more attacks."

Civil society groups allege that the shootings, in Puncak Jaya district and around the mammoth Grasberg mine run by US-based Freeport, are part of a rivalry between police and military as they jockey for lucrative security payments from Freeport and the government.

Since the start of the year, there have been at least six attacks on civilians and security personnel in the violence-wracked town of Mulia in Puncak Jaya alone, leaving six people dead.

The most notorious attack came in April when gunmen fired at a commercial aircraft operated by Trigana Air as it landed at Mulia airport. One passenger was killed and four people injured.

Despite a direct order by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for security forces to get to the bottom of the attack that has spooked airlines from flying to Mulia, no suspects have been identified or arrested.

Another issue raised at the UPR was allegations of torture and human rights abuses still employed by Indonesian military and police officials. The United States blamed a culture of impunity enjoyed by security forces, where officials are often tried in military tribunals or ethics hearings instead of a civilian court. In most cases, those accused of torture and excessive force face only administrative sanctions and light jail terms.

Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, who attended the event, denied the allegation, saying that officials charged with violence "have been punished according to the law" and that several independent bodies had been established to monitor the security forces.