Indonesia has hit back at an American State Department report which criticised its human rights record.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman, Marty Natalegawa, retaliated by saying the report had set a new standard in its ignorance and its failure to understand the actual conditions in Indonesia.

Mr Natalegawa claimed tremendous progress has been made in human rights conditions.

The report said the Indonesian government's rights record remained poor last year and it continued to commit serious abuses, especially in Aceh province.

It said security force members murdered, tortured, raped, beat and arbitrarily detained civilians and members of separatist movements.

The US report said the government also often failed to adequately protect the rights of children and women.