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ndonesians living in Australia and a Jakarta-based rights group have called on media outlets in both countries to stop exploiting the background of Mayang Prasetyo, an Indonesian transgender thought to have been killed by her boyfriend in Brisbane last week.

Mayang, 27, was allegedly murdered and dismembered by 28-year-old Australian chef Marcus Peter Volke, who took his own life shortly after the police found her remains in their apartment.

The murder-suicide case has grabbed headlines in Australia and Indonesia, with some media outlets publishing stories on Mayang's physical transformation and her alleged profession as a prostitute, coupled with photos of her posing in a bikini.

However, Suara Kita, an NGO that promotes the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities, regretted that most Indonesian online news portals, newspapers and TV news programs had treated the murder-suicide case in a disrespectful manner.

'Most of the stories focus on her physical appearance, instead of emphasizing the tragedy of Mayang's murder. This transphobic coverage has often appeared in the country's media,' Suara Kita secretary general Hartoyo said on Wednesday.

'The majority of Indonesian media outlets are still biased and lack sensitivity in reporting criminal cases implicating minority groups, such as LGBT. But I was shocked to learn that the Australian media has also made similar mistakes,' he said.

Hartoyo was referring to some sensationalized news articles, including those published by the Brisbane-based Courier Mail, which referred to Mayang as a high-class 'she-male' with a tumultuous love story.

Indonesians in Queensland Association president Diah Campbell shared similar concerns.

'This is a horrific tragedy and the media should not exploit the victim's personal life. They need to respect the victim and the family left behind,' she told The Jakarta Post.

Gunaro Setiawan, a graduate diploma student at Griffith University in Brisbane, said many Indonesians and Australians in Brisbane had condemned media outlets for their controversial coverage.

'People said gender had nothing to do with being murdered and branded the reports disgusting,' he said.

The sensational stories caused outrage in Australia, prompting the Brisbane Trans Community to initiate an online petition urging the Courier Mail to publicly apologize.

Responding to the outcry, the Courier Mail issued a statement on Wednesday, underlining that it 'had no intention of diminishing the value of Mayang's life, or to add to the grief being felt by her family'.

'Mayang Prasetyo was the innocent victim of a horrendous crime, killed by the man she should have been able to trust the most,' said the statement, which was published on its paper and website.

The Brisbane-based tabloid added that Mayang should be remembered for her 'cheerful and friendly disposition and for the care she had showed her family and loved ones in Indonesia'.

In the wake of the suicide-murder case, Diah said her association wanted to cooperate with several Australian organizations that provided support to people with anxiety, depression and suicidal tendencies. Among the organizations are Lifeline and Beyondblue.

'The cooperation could be in the form of an interpreting service. Maybe there are Indonesians who have recently moved to Australia but do not have many friends, so when they get into trouble, they have no-one to speak to,' she said. (ask)