Indonesian military sees a number of foreign non-government organizations have actively lobbied the United Nations in an effort to get support for breaking away Papua province from Indonesia, military Commander Air Marshal Joko Suyanto said here Wednesday.

The commander said that the NGOs had asked bishop Desmon Tutu from Africa to jointly seek support from the international body.

"I get information from our representative in the UN that some NGOs have begun persuading bishop Desmon Tutu to help them lobbying Papua case in the UN," he said.

The commander cited that the bishop was a very famous and influential leader in the United Nations.

"We must be alert on the move of the NGO's that use famous people for their goal of breaking Papua from Indonesia," he said.

Indonesia excluded three Australian television crews last week due to enter the easternmost province of Indonesia illegally.

The vast province of Papua was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 under a UN-backed vote by community leaders after Jakarta took over the province from Dutch colonial rule in 1963.

But, the international rights group have criticized the UN vote process as unfair.

Papuan rebels have campaigned for more than 30 years to break away from Indonesia.

Source: Xinhua