Aceh faces state of emergency

An Acehnese activist woman protests outside the presidential palace on June 26 against military intervention

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Indonesia is on the verge of declaring a state of emergency in strife-torn Aceh province to enable the government to fight separatists it brands as "terrorists."

Indonesian Military Commander Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu said that in line with the president's instructions, the military and police in Aceh would take tough action against members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Indonesian press reports quoted the official news service Antara as saying the government had exhausted avenues for dialogue with GAM, adding that murders and kidnappings carried out by the separatists amounted to "acts of terrorism."

The conflict, largely ignored outside the region, is one of the world's deadliest with an estimated 10,000 fatalities since 1976, including more than 600 this year.

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Independent rights groups have condemned the actions of both the Islamic separatists and government troops in rights violations against civilians on the island.

President Megawati Sukarnoputri has ordered the military to curb groups "disrupting public order" in Aceh.

"We will carry out Megawati's instruction as it is a political order from the highest military commander," Ryamizard said.

Hijacked ship rescued

Recent disruptions attributed to GAM by the government included the abduction of nine athletes and officials from Aceh Sigli after they took part in a provincial sporting event, the toppling of 21 state-owned electricity towers and the razing of a school in East Aceh.

The GAM rebels on Friday began releasing some of the 18 people held captive from two separate abductions, including crew from a boat carrying supplies to an Exxon Mobil plant.

"Some have been released but I can't say how many, all will be out by tomorrow. All are in healthy condition," GAM spokesman Teungku Sofyan Daud told Reuters by satellite phone from Aceh.

Aceh, at the northwestern end of the huge Indonesian archipelago, is one of two separatist hotspots in the country. The other is the vast province of Papua at the opposite geographical extreme of the country.