Indonesia to pardon thousands including Papua activists

Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto will pardon tens of thousands of prisoners ranging from activists convicted of defamation to those jailed in the easternmost province of Papua for criticising the government, a minister says.

Law minister Supratman Andi Agtas said about 44,000 prisoners across the country might get an amnesty on humanitarian grounds and to help relieve overcrowded jails.

The number is equivalent to about 30 per cent of all prisoners in Indonesia, Andi said.

The prisoners to be pardoned include people convicted in defamation and hate speech cases, including those who defamed the president under Indonesia's Electronic Information and Transaction Law, Andi added.

About 18 activists jailed for exercising their freedom of expression to criticise the authorities or staging protests in Papua will be among those freed, Andi said.

"This is part of the effort to reconcile with our friends in Papua. The government has the good intention to make Papua more peaceful," he said.

Papua came under Indonesian rule in 1969 after a controversial United Nations-backed referendum that many Papuans say did not reflect the will of local people.

Discussions of Papuan independence is a sensitive issue for Indonesia's government, which has long insisted that the plebiscite was legitimate.

Others set to be freed include those convicted of drug offences who are not dealers as well as prisoners with chronic diseases such as HIV.

The government is finalising the plan, including drawing up lists of prisoner names.

It will also discuss the plan with the parliament.

Prabowo also suggested that those who are pardoned and are still of a productive age should get involved in his program to achieve food self sufficiency or becomes part of the military reserve force, Andi said.

Prisons in Indonesia are notoriously overcrowded, with experts saying this is partly due to an emphasis on incarceration rather than rehabilitation of people convicted of drug-related offences under the country's strict narcotics laws.