Robert Go, Banda Aceh – The bodies of two men lay on wooden tables in the morgue at Banda Aceh's main hospital. Both were unwashed and bloodied. One showed severe rigor mortis, with limbs at 90-degree angles to the torso.
According to hospital staff, these were two out of 18 corpses which the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) had brought in to the morgue since Indonesia's operations against GAM separatist rebels began last week. All 18 had died traumatic deaths. Most of them looked in their 30s. All showed bruises, lumps and other signs of beating or torture.
But morgue workers were too scared for their own safety to elaborate. Instead, they tried their best to counter questions with innuendos, something that the Acehnese have become experts at during the past 26 years of troubles here.
Sixteen people, a staff member said, had died of "excessive loss of blood". Hand gestures and code words suggested that the bodies had small entry wounds and larger exit holes. Another two had symptoms of "a lack of oxygen". At least five of the corpses were delivered with ropes around their necks. The ropes are said to be a signature tactic of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
The word "strangulation" almost came out of the staff member's mouth, but his hand gestures were enough to illustrate the point. He kept mum when asked about the identities of the men and their killers, and whether they were civilians, soldiers or rebels.
He said: "We just take the bodies when the Red Cross brings them here, and don't ask questions. After that, we wash them and get them ready for families to claim."
The bodies illustrate the humanitarian crisis that has befallen Aceh. Many expect the situation to worsen over the coming months as Indonesia intensifies its military operations in the province.
During conversations with senior officials of the PMI, it became clear that the agency was poorly equipped to deal with mounting casualties. The organisation counts only 300 volunteers, approximately 300 available body bags and not nearly enough supplies to deal with the expected numbers of victims.
PMI drector Marie Muhammad has said that 80 bodies were found in conflict areas in Aceh this week. His staff said that thousands more were expected in the next six months.
Mr Sanusi Maha, a PMI spokesman in Aceh, said that without more assistance from Jakarta and abroad, Red Cross workers in Aceh would not be able to cope. "We need more ambulances, emergency kits, personnel, stretchers, and many other things. We are doing our best with what we have, but fear that won't be enough," he said.
The Straits Times visit to Banda Aceh's main morgue was similarly distressing, with hospital workers saying they have only one refrigerator for bodies and can properly keep only two corpses at any time. The morgue usually deals with three bodies a week, but has seen 18 in the past seven days.
If many more corpses pour in over the next few weeks, staff members said, bodies would have to be laid out on the grass lawn surrounding the small building.