Australia's Keating may raise media bans with Indonesia

Australia's Keating may raise media bans with Indonesia

CANBERRA (Reuter): Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating is expected to raise Indonesia's decision to ban three leading local magazines when he visits Jakarta beginning today, Foreign Minister Gareth Evans said yesterday.

"I personally believe he will raise the issue," Evans said in a television interview, adding that it was up to Keating whether he would register a formal protest.

"I said in parliament that it was a matter for the prime minister to himself decide how to convey Australia's views on this or any other matter of concern," Evans told Network Ten's "Meet the Press" program.

On Wednesday, Evans criticized the bans as very disappointing and in stark contrast to a previous trend towards free expression.

A day earlier Indonesia banned the weeklies DeTIK, Editor and Tempo, saying they had failed to heed previous warnings not to stray beyond government limits.

The bans were the first in four years and followed more than a year of unprecedented openness in which the three publications led broadening coverage of usually sensitive political issues.

Keating is visiting Indonesia to take part in the Australia Today Indonesia 1994, a major trade and cultural exhibition.

He is also scheduled to hold talks with Indonesian leaders.

Senior government officials said Keating was likely to raise his proposal for a widening of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) to include Australia and New Zealand.