Indonesian crackdown on Aceh rebels

Separatist rebels have increasdingly resorted to violence in their attempt to gain independence

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- The Indonesian president has ordered a new military and police crackdown on rebels in Aceh province.

Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid said Thursday that the separatists would be targeted amidst frustration over failed peace attempts and an escalating war of attrition.

Defense Minister Mohammad Mahfud said Wahid signed a presidential decree on Wednesday authorizing security forces to target known separatists in villages and districts across the province, on the northern tip of Sumatra Island.

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"The police and military will focus their operations on armed opposition groups who are fighting against the government, or in other words, separatists," he said before a Cabinet meeting at the presidential palace.

He said intelligence officers identified separatists of the Free Aceh Movement to ensure that the operation would not result in civilian casualties.

"I am sure we will not target the wrong people," he said.

In the past, Indonesia's security forces have been accused of widespread human rights abuses in their attempt to put down the long rebellion in the oil- and gas- rich province.

Fighting has raged for about 26 years. At least 6,000 people have died in the past decade alone. Human rights activists claim many of the dead were unarmed civilians killed by soldiers and police.

Wahid's decision follows months of attempts by his government to negotiate an end to the fighting. A series of peace agreements and cease-fires have collapsed.

The rebels have killed scores of security personnel this year and claim control over large parts of the province.

Wahid has been pressured by senior army generals and hard-liners within his Cabinet to take a stronger line against the Free Aceh Movement.

The conflict took an ominous turn last month when Exxon-Mobil shut down production at its vast natural gas fields in the region because of escalating rebel activity. The move was a serious blow to the economy.

Exports from Aceh's gas fields have been a major source of export earnings for cash-strapped Indonesia and the closure is regarded as a major deterrent for foreign investment.

A fire set at a warehouse belonging to U.S. oil giant Exxon-Mobil near the village of Lhoksukon, Aceh, early on Thursday was blamed on the rebels, said Lt. Col. Wanto Sumardio, chief of the North Aceh police.

A spokesman for the oil company said the building, which contained spare parts for construction equipment, was "substantially damaged."

Sofyan Daud, a deputy rebel commander in the area, denied that the insurgents set the fire, saying it was in an area securely under military control.

Hours after the crackdown was announced, about 600 students demonstrated in Aceh's capital, Banda Aceh.

"Stop killing Aceh's people," the protesters chanted.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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