Rob Taylor, Jakarta – Indonesia's defence minister wants to blacklist Australian Greens Senator Kerry Nettle from travelling to Papua, saying her presence could stir more violence in the restive province.

The New South Wales senator had hoped to go to Papua next month to assess the security situation following fierce clashes last week in which as many as four Indonesian police officers and an air force officer were bludgeoned to death by demonstrators.

But Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono has asked the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Department to stop the visit taking place, the Koran Tempo daily reported. "I prefer her not (to visit), because it will incite unnecessary controversy in the field," Sudarsono told the paper.

Nettle, who visited 43 Papuan asylum seekers on Christmas Island in January and afterwards demanded Australia's government "stand up for human rights and for freedom" in Papua, would try and embarrass Indonesia over human rights, Sudarsono said. "Certainly the data will be manipulated," he said.

The call for a blacklist came a day after Indonesia's intelligence chief, Major-General Syamsir Siregar, accused Australian-backed aid groups of fomenting last week's protests against the massive US-owned Freeport gold and copper mine.

Sudarsono's senior adviser Bonnie Leonard said the minister believed Senator Nettle was "indirectly linked" to the violence.

The Indonesian government has also barred foreign journalists from visiting Papua, bringing criticism from international rights groups.

Police said yesterday they would strengthen their presence in the province with an extra 200 men from the elite paramilitary Mobile Brigade, which has a notorious human rights record.

A spokesman for Senator Nettle said she had been planning to visit Papua since the Papuan asylum seekers landed in north Queensland in January.

The group, who arrived at sea after days in a dugout canoe, claimed they feared death at the hands of Indonesian security forces and are being assessed by Australian immigration officials on Christmas Island.

"A number of people from civil society basically suggested it would be good if we could go up there ourselves," Senator Nettle's spokesman said.

"We've been in contact with various groups, political organisations. We wanted to go in April, as soon as possible." Senator Nettle had been planning to visit either officially if possible, or if necessary on a business visa as a private citizen, he said.

Indonesia's chief foreign spokesman, Yuri Thamrin, who is also in charge of Australian and Pacific affairs for the foreign ministry, said no official request for a visit had been made by Australia's Jakarta Embassy. An embassy spokeswoman said the mission was unaware of Senator Nettle's plans.

Thamrin said Sudarsono's request for a blackban would be sent to the Indonesian government's "clearing house" of senior officials for approval.

National police deputy spokesman Anton Bahrul Alam said yesterday 24 people were wanted over over Thursday's violence in Papua, while 14 more had already been arrested and would face trial as soon as possible.