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CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - An Aboriginal town threatened to ban tourists from scaling giant Ayers Rock in central Australia to protest a heavy-handed government crackdown on child abuse in Aboriginal areas, a local leader said Tuesday.
The threat came from the leaders of Mutitjulu, the Aboriginal township in the shadow of the red monolith where media reports last year of child prostitution and children using sex to get gasoline for sniffing prompted a government inquiry.
Last week, the federal government announced a plan to ban alcohol and pornography in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory and reduce welfare payments of parents who do not adequately care for their children. Medical checks were also ordered for children living on Aboriginal lands.
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