Chris McCall – Aceh's rebels urged UN intervention in the troubled Indonesian province yesterday following the killing of 107 people there in the past 10 days.

The surge in violence began after a three-month truce was temporarily renewed on September 2. The two sides are to meet this month to discuss a more formal extension, but it is widely feared the talks will fail, sparking a broader conflict.

Among those killed recently were a provincial legislator, a local councillor and two soldiers. According to Care Human Rights Forum, Aceh's leading human rights pressure group, three-quarters of the dead were civilians.

A rebel representative on a joint security committee set up under the truce blamed Indonesian forces. Amni bin Ahmad Marzuki said Jakarta had broken the provisions of the truce by arresting rebels and mounting sweep searches for rebel bases. "They are still doing offensive operations. We ask them to stop this," said Mr Amni. "If indeed Indonesia wants to solve the Aceh problem, it must be solved by the United Nations."

The meeting to discuss formally renewing the truce with the Free Aceh Movement had been scheduled for this weekend but was put back a week after Indonesian Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab said Jakarta would insist on pre-conditions.

"What the Government means by that is offering broad autonomy to Aceh. I think Free Aceh is very disappointed," said Saifuddin Bantasyam, chief of Care Human Rights Forum.

Jakarta has already proposed broad autonomy in a bid to redress past rights abuses, but the offer is regarded as too little, too late by many Acehnese. There is popular support instead for an East Timor-style referendum on independence.

Most independent analysts believe the result would be rejection of Indonesian rule, as in East Timor. Jakarta has firmly ruled out both a referendum and foreign intervention. Indonesia's security forces have vowed to prevent the Sumatran province breaking away, at any cost.