Indonesia Rejects Martial Law for Province

Indonesia’s security forces announced Wednesday the deployment of hundreds of reinforcements to troubled Aceh province as the government rejected the military’s demands to impose martial law in response to the bloody rebellion here.

Some Indonesian generals, including the national police chief, have said that secessionist violence in this independence-minded region is spiraling out of control. They have demanded the imposition of emergency rule in some parts of this province at the northern tip of the island of Sumatra.

But Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid wants to foster dialogue with separatist groups and said martial law would only inflame the situation here. “There is no need for that. Martial law will create more problems, so the better thing is to take care of the situation by maintaining peace like we are doing now,” Wahid said in Jordan, where he is on a tour of the Middle East.

Wahid has offered to hold a referendum in this province, but it is expected to be for autonomy, not independence.

In the past two days, six civilians have been killed in two separate incidents, said Aceh’s military chief, Col. Syarifuddin Tippe.

Four men were shot Tuesday after being kidnapped by unknown assailants in Panga Pucok village, he said. The other two were killed Wednesday in a gunfight.

National police spokesman Col. Saleh Saaf said 876 riot-control police officers had been sent to this province after increased rebel attacks.

The reinforcements bring to 9,000 the number of police based in Aceh.