There are claims of mistreatment in the Indonesian province of Papua.

Papuan student activists are alleging that the Indonesian military has killed fellow students in revenge attacks following the deaths of five Indonesian security officers during a protest last March.

The students claim they witnessed the Indonesian military commit murder on two separate occasions.

Our correspondent in Papua, Steve Marshall, says one student's account describes Indonesian soldiers stabbing a student to death in the water when the boat they were using to escape Papua sank.

Another student claims the Indonesian military opened fire on university dormitories in the highlands, killing two people.

The March protest demanded the closure of an American-owned gold and copper mine in Papua province.

Supporters of Papua's independence movement have accused the mine's owner's, Freeport-McMoRan, of failing to benefit the local community.

The Brussels based think-tank, the International Crisis Group, says the Indonesian military responded to the riot with a violent crackdown.

ABC Asia Pacific TV / Radio Australia