Three soldiers who were accused of torturing civilians in Papua have been found guilty only of disobeying orders and have been handed sentences of between eight and ten months, highlighting the continued impunity of the Indonesian Military (TNI). The abuses came to light in October 2010, through a video depicting the interrogation of two native Papuans. One of the men is naked and bound and has a burning stick applied to his genitals, while the other man has a knife held to his neck and is threatened with decapitation. The video provoked an international outcry, forcing Mr Yudhoyono to give assurances that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

However, Mr Yudhoyono appeared to backtrack prior to the sentencing, describing the incident as minor and saying that the TNI had not committed any gross human rights violations since 2004. He also questioned why he had to explain the incident to the UN, the US and the EU, highlighting the government's sensitivity to criticism on the issue of human rights. An international human rights organisation, Amnesty International, said that the sentences did not match the severity of the crime. Human rights campaigners have long argued that the military must be held accountable in civilian courts. Military personnel who commit crimes are currently subject only to closed-door court-martial proceedings.