Vaudine England, Jakarta – The jailing of an Acehnese activist for holding a peaceful rally and the resurrection of a "blacklist" of people banned from entering the country have heightened concerns about freedom of expression under President Megawati Sukarnoputri.

The new presidential style of respectability and restraint is seen in many aspects of her rule, from the newly walled-in reception area at the palace to the revival of the Department of Information. When Ms Megawati gives a press appearance she routinely refuses to take questions, and requests to interview her are almost invariably rejected.

Rules are now so tight that they prevent even some registered journalists from attending press conferences.

Ben Bohane, an Australian freelance reporter known for his trenchant coverage of Indonesian hotspots, tried to enter Jakarta without a valid journalist visa last weekend. Although this is in breach of visa rules, under the governments of Bacharuddin Habibie and Mr Wahid he and many other foreign journalists came into Indonesia as tourists and then worked without any problem.

But immigration officials showed Bohane a list of banned poeple – with his name on it – before escorting him back to the plane he arrived on. Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs deny journalists have been singled out on the so-called blacklist.

During President Suharto's rule, a blacklist of banned journalists and others was actively used to keep out or expel people who disagreed with the government. Scores of journalists were turned back at the airport. Many others were refused renewal of their residential visas if their reporting was judged inaccurate or too independent.

More disturbing is the one-year sentence recently handed to an Acehnese activist for organising a peaceful rally outside the UN office in central Jakarta. Faisal bin Saifuddin was found guilty this week of spreading enmity and hatred against the state.

Saifuddin leads the Jakarta branch of the Information Centre for an Aceh Referendum (Sira), a movement campaigning for a vote on self-rule in Aceh province. "Sira is anti-violence," Saifuddin said, adding he would appeal. Of note in this case is the Government's increasing use of the "spreading enmity" law against anyone it deems an enemy. A similar case continues in Surabaya, East Java, where Eusebius Purwadi, 26, is facing 10 years in jail for distributing pamphlets criticising Ms Megawati.