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Australian says Laos detention not political

Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister, Alexander Downer, has rejected suggestions that the arrest of an Australian man in Laos has anything to do with international politics.

50-year-old Peter Martin has been detained in Laos but the Australian Foreign Affairs department is yet to establish what charges he faces.

His arrest comes just a week after Kay and Kerry Danes arrived back in Australia, after ten months in detention in Laos.

Mr Downer says Australia has a good relationship with Laos.

"From what I know, I'd be 100 per cent sure that this isn't a political issue, that this is much more a question of finance in one way or another. No, we have a good relationship with Laos and in the end, we managed to get the Danes out, which wasn't an easy task, but they let them, the Danes out effectively, because of the value they place on our relationship."

18/11/01 19:05:50 | ABC Radio Australia News

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