Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The arrest of Acehnese environmentalist Bestari Raden has drawn strong criticism from rights activists and a sociologist, who see the move as part of systematic

Nani Farida, Banda Aceh – The Aceh martial law administration has arrested an environmental activist for alleged involvement with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), sparking protests from hi

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – As many as 52 villages in war-torn Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam may skip the elections due to the unfavorable security situation there, a senior Cabinet min

James Balowski, Jakarta – The government of Megawati Sukarnoputri declared martial law in Indonesia's northern-most province of Aceh last May.

A barbed-wire fence and steel gate stand in the way of Fatimah Ali (not her real name) in Bukit Petaling, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Nezar Patria, Kuala Lumpur – A wooden boat stealthily approached a beach near Port Klang in Malaysia at the end of last February.

Jakarta, Kompas – The Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) is of the view that law enforcement in Aceh since a state of martial law was declared is not working.

Astrid Felicia Lim, Jakarta – The elections in Aceh will not be delayed, but its implementation will be dependent on the security situation.

East Aceh – Seven members of the rebel Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and two Indonesian soldiers were killed on Friday after an armed clash on Tateh mountain in East Aceh regency.

Nani Farida, Banda Aceh – The situation in Aceh Nanggroe Darussalam at present is calmer than it has been in recent months, but it is not really very different from other days aside fro

Jakarta – Indonesia has increased restrictions on foreign journalists trying to visit war torn Aceh province ahead of April parliamentary elections, the foreign ministry said Thursday.

Jakarta – A court in Indonesia's Aceh province on Tuesday jailed a former separatist rebel ceasefire negotiator for two years for subversion.

Banda Aceh – Government troops shot dead two suspected separatists in more clashes in restive Aceh province, the military said Monday, while accusing the rebels of killing a teenaged gi

Banda Aceh – The Indonesian military said Thursday it had shot dead a key figure in the self-styled government proclaimed by separatist rebels in Aceh province.

Jakarta – Separatist rebels in Indonesia's Aceh province urged Acehnese on Wednesday to vote in next month's elections and said they would not try to disrupt the polls.

A pro-independence group in Indonesia's Aceh province has accused police and troops of intimidation and violence in the run-up to the general election on April 5.

Nani Farida, Banda Aceh – A joint monitoring team will begin immediately to inspect humanitarian projects carried out by the martial law administrator and Aceh provincial government sin

Banda Aceh – Military authorities in Aceh on Thursday banned foreign observers from monitoring next month's general elections in 453 so-called "black areas" in the war-torn province due

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Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights' (Komnas HAM) ad hoc team for Aceh has found indications of gross human rights violations in Aceh, most of whi

Teuku Agam Muzakir, Lhokseumawe – The martial law administration in Aceh will deploy all of its forces to ensure the upcoming general election will be a success in the province, a milit

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Denpasar – The Indonesian Military (TNI) has stressed the importance of enhancing security in Aceh during the election campaign beginning on March 11, a decisive f

Jakarta – Rebels in Indonesia's Aceh are still a major security threat despite a 10-month-old military offensive, an army spokesman said on Monday, a day after the president expressed h

Jakarta, Kompas – General elections in Aceh will be held under a state of martial law and hundreds of foreign observers will monitor the elections in Aceh.

Zainal Bakri, Lhokseumawe – The National Elections Commission (KPU) in Aceh has stated that as of Saturday afternoon, March 6, no foreign election observers – either organisations or in

Washington – The United States expressed deep concern on Friday over the recent arrests of non-violent activists in Indonesia's rebellious region of Aceh and the treatment of a leading

Anton Aliabbas, Jakarta – The People's Representative Assembly (DPR) has asked the Aceh emergency military command (PDMD) to restrict the movement of foreign election observers in Aceh.

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Indonesian police said yesterday they had arrested a man believed to be a senior aide in the self-styled government proclaimed by separatist rebels in Aceh province.

Bandung – An Acehnese student, identified as Mohammad bin Mohammad Toyib, has been arrested for allegedly serving as an adjutant to the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) finance minister.

James Balowski, Jakarta – In a statement issued on February 23, Amnesty International said that the five human rights activists and one other person who were detained by the Indonesian

Jakarta – Aceh has almost become the "forgotten" war. Because of this, Acehnese students believe that is necessary to hold demonstrations in Jakarta to remind people of the issue.

Ahmad Fikri, Jakarta – West Bandung (West Java) police have arrested Mohammad bin Toyib (26) who they say is the adjutant of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) finance minister.

Banda Aceh – Since martial law came into force in Aceh on May 19, 2003, the Banda Aceh Military Court I/01 has handed down verdicts on 90 legal cases involving 120 TNI (armed forces) of

Nani Farida, Banda Aceh – Aceh police declared two of 11 student activists arrested recently as treason suspects on Friday, saying that they had supported the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Jakarta – Indonesian police have released eight activists detained earlier this month in war-torn Aceh province but plan to charge two others with treason for allegedly helping separati

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – A panel of judges at Medan district court sentenced on Thursday 10 members of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to between two and 10 years in jail for ac

Indonesian troops have killed eight separatists in Aceh province, the military said Monday.

Yogyakarta – Around 100 activists from the group People's Solidarity for Aceh (Solidaritas Rakyat untuk Aceh) held a street action in Yogyakarta, Central Java, on Thursday February 26.

Nani Farida, Banda Aceh – The Aceh martial law administrator has vowed to go after non-governmental organization (NGO) activists in the province, saying many of them were accomplices of

Rachel Harvey, Aceh – It has been more than nine months now since the Indonesian government launched its military campaign in the north-western province of Aceh.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – As many as five student, youth and women's activists in Aceh have disappeared since February 16.

Jakarta – On Monday morning, February 23, four non-government organisation (NGO) activists who have publicly rejected the military operation in Aceh continuing during the 2004 general e

Tiarma Siboro and Nani Farida, Jakarta/Banda Aceh – Six Acehnese students, mostly activists, have disappeared after they were taken by officers from the Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) f

Jakarta – Five human rights workers and another man are "at grave risk" of torture and ill-treatment after being arrested by police in Aceh province, Amnesty International said Tuesday.

Sunariyah, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has condemned the arbitrary arrest and detention of activists in Aceh.

Heru Margianto, Jakarta – Six Acehnese activists have been arrested by security forces in Central Aceh.

Jakarta - The Democratic Party has been accused of flirting with the Aceh Emergency Military Command by three Acehnese women's non-government organisations.