Lhokseumawe – Some 800 students in Indonesia's restive province of Aceh rallied Monday to demand an East Timor-style referendum on self-determination.

The protesters, picketting the district council building in the city of Lhokseumawe in north Aceh, called for the prosecution of those guilty of human rights violations in the province and opposed proposals by the military to establish a regional command for the province.

Hundreds of housewives meanwhile protested outside the district police station, demanding the release of their children and husbands who were arrested during a protest on Friday.

Aceh has suffered years of violence between soldiers and members and supporters of the Aceh Merdeka (Free Aceh Movement) which has been fighting for an Islamic state since the 1970s.

Resentment and discontent against the central government has spiralled following Jakarta's failure to punish members of the military for human rights abuses that occurred during anti-rebel operations over the last decade.

When the operations ended last year, rights groups unearthed mass graves and brought forward scores of victims of rape and torture which shocked Indonesia. Military violence continued even after the operations were officially halted.

The bitterness against the government has been further fuelled by dissatisfaction over the exploitation of Aceh's natural resources, including natural gas. Little of the profit generated has been reinvested in the province.

The discontent has led to mounting calls for a referendum on self-determination for Aceh, which the government has staunchly ruled out.