Matthew Moore, Jakarta – The Indonesian Government has barred all foreign journalists from the troubled provinces of Aceh and Papua, the first such ban for at least four years.

A committee of about 15 government institutions including the army, the intelligence agency BIN, police, immigration, the Government's security ministry and the Foreign Affairs Department made the decision on September 23, three days after the election of Indonesia's new President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Irzani Ratni, a Foreign Affairs representative, said the decision was made for "security reasons". "The decision of the meeting was to not allow it [foreign journalists] until further notice," she said. She refused to say who on the committee had proposed preventing foreign journalists from reporting in the provinces or for what reasons.

The Government and the military have been sensitive to foreign reporting from the outlying provinces for many years but access has always been possible, if difficult, since the fall of the Soeharto regime.

A spokesman for Dr Yudhoyono said there had been "no change to the procedures" and foreign journalists could still apply for permission to visit the areas. But two Western journalists who had applied to go to Papua have had their applications rejected without reason.

The previous president, Megawati Soekarnoputri, restricted access to Aceh in Sumatra's far north in the wake of critical reporting after the declaration of martial law in May last year. She ruled that only foreign reporters living in Indonesia could visit the province and introduced a complex system that prevented them visiting villages where the battle against separatists is mainly fought.

Late last year, the government committee brought in a similar set of rules for foreign journalists seeking access to Papua. These became known only when journalists arrived in Papua without the required permits and were arrested.

Despite the bans on foreign reporters, foreign tourists are still able to travel to Papua without restriction.