Indonesia tightens Aceh security before Wahid trip

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BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (Reuters) -- Indonesian troops tightened security in the rebellious province of Aceh on Monday on the eve of a visit by President Abdurrahman Wahid and after weekend violence that left up to 10 people dead.

Aceh police spokesman Kusbini Imbar said 2,500 troops and police would be on guard for Wahid's trip, his first to the provincial capital Banda Aceh since becoming president 14 months ago.

Wahid visited Aceh's main port, on the relatively safe island of Sabang, in January.

In the latest violence, several bodies were found over the weekend, some showing signs of torture and bullet wounds. Imbar put the toll at six, while local media said up to 10 people had been killed by unknown assailants.

INTERACTIVE MAP Fragile Archipelago -- a look at conflict areas in Indonesia and environs

An aircraft chartered by Mobil Oil Indonesia was shot at on Monday as it came in to land at Lhokseumawe, 200 kilometers (125 miles) east of Banda Aceh, the company said. None of the 23 people on board was hurt.

"The aircraft was about to land in Malikus Saleh airport in Lhokseumawe when it was shot from the edge of the runway," Julia Tumengkol, the firm's public relations manager, told Reuters.

The aircraft aborted its landing and flew to Medan, capital of neighboring North Sumatra province. One shot hit a wing. Mobil Oil Indonesia is a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) and has extensive operations in Aceh.

Despite the weekend killings, the resource-rich province on the northern tip of Sumatra island was calm, Imbar said.

Rebels warn of assassination

Rebels late last week warned Wahid his Jakarta opponents might try to assassinate him during the visit, then seek to blame the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) fighting for independence.

Political analysts hold little hope Wahid's one-day trip will do much to placate demands for independence or resolve decades of military brutality and economic exploitation in a province that poses one of his toughest challenges.

Wahid's precise agenda in Banda Aceh, 1,700 kilometers (1,060 miles) northwest of Jakarta, is unclear.

Officials initially said Wahid would meet a key demand of religious leaders by declaring Islamic sharia law but later said the plan had been called off because the law was officially already in place.

"I don't think the president's visit will be effective unless he can offer a definite plan followed by the realization of bringing justice for human rights violations and tackle poverty in Aceh," political analyst Arbi Sanit told Reuters.

"Promises alone won't be effective. The Aceh problem is about poverty and human rights abuses, therefore it is important to bring perpetrators to court."

A plan to soothe tensions in Aceh largely revolves around greater autonomy for the province's four million people, expected to be implemented next May.

Independence only

But GAM rebels insist they will only settle for independence, placing them on a collision course with Wahid's increasingly hardline stance on separatism.

Unlike ragtag guerrillas fighting for independence in remote Irian Jaya at the eastern end of the huge archipelago, GAM rebels are well armed and trained, have strong support from Acehnese overseas and number in the thousands.

They have regularly clashed with security forces in recent months, making a mockery of a ceasefire that took effect in June and which expires on January 15.

Indonesia has threatened a crackdown if a new round of peace talks, delayed since November, fails to take place by then, raising the spectre of more violence in a war that is increasingly killing civilians and aid workers.

In Jakarta, Hassan Wirayuda, director-general of politics at the Foreign Ministry, said the government was trying to arrange talks with GAM rebels before the frayed truce expired.

But Jakarta would make no concessions, he said.

Defense Minister Mahfud M.D. has said the prospect of resuming military force carried huge risks but said Indonesia may have no alternative if it is to keep the country united.

Thousands died in military operations in the 1990s during the rule of former President Suharto.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Ten people killed in violence preceding Wahid trip to Aceh
December 17, 2000
Indonesian soldier killed, 3 wounded in Irian Jaya clash
December 16, 2000

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