Australia advises its citizens to leave Indonesia

The Australian government is advising citizens to put off all non-essential travel to Indonesia because of "disturbing" new information of threats to them in the country.

"The decision to amend our travel advice is based on disturbing new information of generic threats to Australians and Australian interests in Indonesia," Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.

In the wake of last weekend's nightclub bombing on Bali, the government is advising against travel to Indonesia and urging travellers there to depart.

Mr Downer's statement urged Australians to exercise extreme caution, particularly in commercial and public areas known to be frequented by foreigners such as clubs, restaurants, bars, schools, places of worship, outdoor recreation events and tourist areas.

The government also would revise travel advice for some other south-east Asian countries to highlight the need for vigilance given ongoing risks of terrorist activity, the statement said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister John Howard is in Bali amid growing anger over claims his government failed to act on intelligence warnings of terrorist threats to Asian tourist spots.

Mr Howard, who is attending a memorial service for the victims of the bombing, is under pressure to explain why his government failed to act on intelligence reports forwarded by the US which warned of an increased terrorist risk.

He has admitted to Parliament that the government had received an intelligence report in September of a rising terrorist threat in Indonesia, and that the report mentioned Bali.

But the report did not speak of a specific threat on the island and intelligence agencies judged that the current threat assessment was sufficient, he said.

Word of the intelligence reports have turned grief to anger among survivors, and relatives and friends of the dead and missing.