Vaudine England, Jakarta – President Abdurrahman Wahid's comments in Aceh belie how wide the gulf is between him and much of his Government and how little room he has to manoeuvre.

While he offers his apologies and sharia law, his leading generals and ministers, especially Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri, are acting as if he was not there. A crackdown on the rebels was announced last week and Mr Wahid has little choice but to go along with it if he means to keep his job.

"It indicates that Gus Dur [Mr Wahid] is losing control of his leadership," said Saifuddin Bantasyam, of the Care Human Rights Forum in Aceh.

President Wahid's background in the democracy movement and his tolerant Islamic theology suggest he probably means it when he wishes Acehnese separatism could be solved through peaceful dialogue. But from his senior security minister, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, down the ranks to Aceh chief Colonel Tippe, the mood is harder than ever. Repeating the threat to crush the rebels when a nominal ceasefire expires on January 15, Defence Minister Mahfud Mahmoddin blamed a failure of peace talks on the Free Aceh Movement rebels.

"If all else fails, then a military operation is the choice," said Mr Mahfud. Signs of the army champing at the bit were seen in the recent execution of three local aid workers and the arrest of student activist Muhammad Nazar. Rights groups say an effort is under way to eliminate the middle ground of moderates to clear the way for the kind of battle that might restore military prestige among nationalist Indonesians.

Leading the way is the increasingly militaristic Ms Megawati. She regularly enjoys military ceremonies at which she exhorts the men not to lose heart but do what is needed to save the nation. This has also infected policy towards Irian Jaya.

The upshot is that while Mr Wahid may mean well, he is not being given the time or space by his own administration to succeed. He promises Aceh special autonomy, due from Parliament by May. But the hardliners in the ruling elite know they need only stymie that legislation, too, to further weaken a president they dislike.