Banda Aceh – The United States, the European Union and Japan yesterday issued a joint statement urging Indonesia not to launch a military operation in Aceh province.

They expressed "deep concern" over the possible breakdown of a peace agreement with separatist rebels. "We hope both parties will put above other interests the clear wish of the Acehnese people to live in peace and security," they said.

More than 1,000 Indonesian troops arrived in Aceh on Wednesday to prepare for the expected operation. Six thousand more were on the way to supplement a reported force of 35,000 police and soldiers already in the province.

The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) said it had ordered guerillas to return to base and take up defensive positions. In a statement it also urged ExxonMobil to shut down its operations if fighting formally begins, to ensure the safety of employees.

The EU, US and Japan, who co-chaired a Tokyo conference last December on aid for Aceh, strongly urged GAM "without further delay" to declare unconditional support for a peaceful solution and respect for the terms of the five-month-old peace deal, "especially with regard to demilitarisation and an eventual political solution".