Peruvian Prime Minister Yehude Simon will travel to the country's Amazon region today to meet with indigenous leaders.

President Alan Garcia says the prime minister will try to convince the indigenous leaders to take part in dialogue to end the conflict in the region.

The indigenous people in the Peruvian Amazon have been protesting against the government’s policies for two months. The protests are aimed at a series of laws opening up large tracts of rainforest to oil and gas exploration. Two of the controversial laws have been suspended as a result of the protests, but the indigenous communities are demanding that all the laws be repealed.

President Garcia says the controversial laws actually protect the environment. He denies accusations that the rainforest is being sold to multinationals, and blames 'leftist' organisations for inciting protests against the government. Mr Garcia says these NGOs paint a picture of Peru, which has a free trade agreement with the US, of squandering the natural wealth of the Amazon.  

The government says the protests in the Amazon have claimed the lives of 25 police officers and nine protesters, but indigenous leaders insist the death toll is much higher, with at least 100 people still missing.