* See item 7098
JAKARTA: The Indonesian President says there will be no immunity for members of the country’s armed forces, after a video showed them torturing unarmed civilians in Papua province, reports Radio NZ International.
The president has told a weekly cabinet meeting that the soldiers involved would be punished, and he rejected international pressure over the issue ahead of talks in Jakarta with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says the soldiers involved will be punished.
He says the incident has become a news topic in the international media and the government must take steps, but not because of any pressure.
He says torture is not Indonesia’s policy, and there is no immunity.
The Indonesian military chief, Agus Suhartono, says five suspects have been identified and their files have been passed to military prosecutors. - Radio NZ International/Pacific Media Watch