Jakarta – Dozens of human bones have been found in a 67 metre deep hole in a village in East Java.

Residents of the Lorejo Village were aware of the presence of the human remains for more than three decades but chose to stay silent, Kompas daily reported yesterday.

"In 1968 there was a pungent smell arising from the pit and from the stories told by the old folks, more than 70 bodies have been dumped there," said a villager. He added that the residents had decided to cover the hole, which they call Rat Cave, with rocks and not report it to the authorities.

The site lies on land belonging to a local NGO, Foundation for Peace. It re-opened the hole and began an investigation on August 11 to identify the remains. But the investigations were halted, pending approval from the authorities.

Many villagers said they suspected the bones belonged to Indonesian Communist Party members and sympathisers.