'Pokemon Go' no-go in Indonesian presidential palace area

Indonesia has banned the playing of the 'Pokemon Go' reality mobile game in the presidential palace area, according to local media reports.

They quoted Presidential Palace Press Bureau Chief Bey Machmuddin as saying that the ban was imposed for disciplinary more than security reasons.

Hastily printed warnings that say 'Playing or hunting Pokemon prohibited in the palace area' were put up around the palace complex yesterday.

"It is a very simple reason. This is the office of the president, not a playground," he said.

Earlier, police were banned from playing the game while on duty, and local media reported that Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu had warned that the game might be used by foreign countries to detect sensitive information.

Pokemon Go, which uses Google Maps and a smartphone to overlay reality with Pokemon creatures, has not been officially released in Indonesia but is already popular here.

Last Monday, Indonesian police detained a Frenchman after he trespassed into a military base in a West Java town while playing Pokemon Go and local television stations also reported several road accident cases attributed to the game.