“What's the use for him coming all the way to Indonesia if he only gives a press conference to Australian journalists?” the paper asked. Ruffled feathers, at least among the media: Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his wife Margie on arrival in Jakarta last Monday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen It reported the Australian embassy's press spokesman Ray Marcelo saying: “Sorry, this is the Prime Minister's Office request”. Australian journalists were also told the press conference was only for them, and it meant Indonesian media were unable to put any questions to the visiting Prime Minister. But Umar Idris, the head of the Jakarta chapter of the Alliance for Independent Journalists, said the actions of Mr Abbott — himself a former journalist — were not just discourteous, but criminal.

“The press law in Indonesia says it is a crime to limit journalists to get access to information. The penalty for that is two years' imprisonment,” Mr Umar said. “We cannot accept whatever reason Australia gave for limiting access to information for Indonesian journalists.” However, travelling dignitaries, like diplomats, are usually given immunity from domestic laws in countries they are visiting. Mr Abbott's office did not respond to requests for an explanation. Other than this, however, coverage in the Indonesian language press for the two-day visit was comprehensive, in some cases front-page and generally either straight or approving with a hint of surprise.

The tone was captured by secular newspaper Media Indonesia, whose front page announced on Tuesday that Mr Abbott “did not offend the sensitive issues that had arisen earlier”. Kompas carried a front-page story on Tuesday entitled: “RI [Republic of Indonesia]-Australia Overcome Together”. Islam-based newspaper Republika carried an artist's impression of Mr Abbott and the title: “Fight the illegal migrant”. On inside pages the paper carried no fewer than four stories, including a 10-point introduction to Mr Abbott. The first point read: “Abbott limits immigrants and asylum seekers while in fact Abbott himself was an immigrant. He was born in London, England in 1957 and immigrated to Australia on 1960”. The English-language Jakarta Post's headline, “Abbot [sic] respects RI sovereignty” would be something the Australian Prime Minister would have been happy to see, as it conveyed he was not someone to be afraid of.

The coverage on Wednesday was more muted and disparate. Koran Tempo quoted Trade Minister Andrew Robb in its story about Mr Abbott's comments to a business breakfast on investing, particularly in the cattle industry.