Washington – Just two days after the United States moved to improve military ties with Indonesia, the State Department said on Monday the Jakarta government had a poor human rights record last year.

Most of the abuses took place in areas of separatist violence, the department said in its annual report on human rights conditions worldwide.

"Security force members murdered, tortured, raped, beat and arbitrarily detained civilians and members of separatist movements, especially in Aceh and to a lesser extent in Papua," it said.

Police sometimes used deadly force in arresting suspects and in trying to obtain information or confessions, it said. Past and present military officers known to have committed abuses were promoted to senior positions in the government and military.

The report is certain to be used by member of Congress who oppose the Bush administration's moves to strengthen military ties with Jakarta.

On Saturday, the State Department announced it had lifted restrictions on Indonesia's participation in a US military training program. The restrictions were imposed in 1992 after massacres of civilian protesters in East Timor, then a breakaway Indonesian province.

Later, the conditions were tied to Indonesia's cooperation in the investigation of the murders of two American teachers in Indonesia's Papua province. The department said Saturday that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had determined that Jakarta has been cooperating.

Monday's report praised Indonesia's move toward democratic government, the reduced political power of security forces and efforts to criminalize domestic violence and fight trafficking in human beings.

It said serious problems remained, however. Indonesian prison conditions were harsh, the judicial system was corrupt, and the government has arrested peaceful protesters. Journalists have come under increased pressure from the government, businessleaders and security forces, it said.