BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, Jan. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- The Indonesian government is still concerned about the security in the restive province of Aceh, which was in the status of civil emergency, a minister said here on Friday.

    The Indonesian authorities told westerners not to freely go to outside of Banda Aceh, the capital of the province, and Meulaboh district due to security reasons, Indonesian Minister of Information and Communication Sofyan Jalil told reporters.

    "Right now maybe there is a misunderstanding about the policy that the foreign volunteers cannot go freely outside Banda Aceh and Meulaboh, that is because of security consideration," he said at the residence of the provincial governor.

    Banda Aceh and Meulaboh are the worst-hit regions in the country's westernmost province in the Dec. 26 tsunami.

    The government said that those who would like to go to outside of those places must report to the police, Jalil said.

    "So, the police will know where you are going and how about thesecurity situation in that area," he said.

    The minister added that the policy is aimed at protecting all guests in the province.

    "We want to be a good host, we have to protect all our guests,"he said.

    During the relief efforts after the catastrophe in Aceh province and North Sumatra province on Dec. 26, there have been exchanges of fire between the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and government troops.

    Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has warned foreign ambassadors of the United States, Japan, Singapore, Libya and Sweden not to intervene in the separatist issue in the province, which the government sees as domestic one.

    The GAM has fought for the establishment of an independent state in the oil-rich province since 1976. More than 10,000 people,mostly civilians, have been killed in the conflicts between the GAM and government troops. Enditem