Nani Afrida, Tamiang – Tears flowed down the cheeks of Nuraida, 35, a resident of Bendahara district, Tamiang regency, Aceh. She murmured prayers while her fingers brushed away the dried leaves from the three graves in front of her.

The graves contained the remains of her husband and two children, who were killed during the period of martial law in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam between 2003 and 2004. Nuraida's husband was a member of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), and was shot and killed in Tamiang in 2003. Not long afterward, her two sons, aged 13 and 14, were taken by security personnel from their home.

"Both my sons were found the next morning, dead with gunshot wounds to their heads," Nuraida told The Jakarta Post.

Her three loved ones had been taken from her, and she cannot understand why her sons had to die. "They were still in school, still kids. I will never forgive because they were killed for nothing," she says.

Nuraida said she could understand her husband's death because of his involvement in the separatist group, but not the deaths of her sons, who had nothing to do with the conflict in Aceh. "I demand justice, especially not that peace has arrived, so that my sons can have peace in the next world," she said in a hoarse voice.

Nuraida's case is just one of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of civilians being victimized by the conflict that began more than a quarter of a century ago. The bloody conflict at least temporarily came to an end when a peace deal was signed on Aug. 15 by the Indonesian government and GAM. The peace deal was given a boost when the former rebel group surrendered some of its weapons and in return the Indonesian Military pulled out troops from Aceh. The disarmament process is slated to be completed by the end of the year.

Although the fighting has ended for now, the question remains of whether the victims of military and GAM atrocities during the conflict will receive justice. This matter deserves attention because it concerns many people. According to data from an international non-governmental organization, the Coalition of Human Rights Groups, between March 2004 and Aug. 15 this year, 328 civilians suffered abuses.

Sixty-four people were killed, 26 illegally detained, 69 people were abducted or went missing and 169 people were tortured.

The true scale of these numbers can only be appreciated by remembering that this conflict went on for more than 30 years.

According to a human rights activist in Aceh, Rufriadi, there is a clause in the peace agreement on a human rights tribunal, but it is still unclear whether the tribunal will act on a retroactive basis. If not, human rights abuses committed by state institutions prior to the signing of the peace deal cannot be prosecuted, he said.

"Everyone has agreed on peace, but they also demand justice. In my opinion, this can only be achieved with a human rights tribunal," Rufriadi said.