Devi Asmarani, Banda Aceh – Were there a rating system for a presidential mission to a conflict-torn area, President Abdurrahman Wahid's visit to Aceh on Tuesday would probably have got a borderline pass. It was not a complete failure, but was far from a great success.

His conciliatory address to about 500 people invited to the Baiturrahman mosque here to commemorate the Quran revelation day reflected his peace-making intent for the restive province.

His promise of a more sensible security approach to rebels in the area was aimed at appeasing those who were dreading the return of another military crackdown on separatism.

But his tense two-hour visit, marked by an edgy 30-minute drive to and from the airport on a road notorious for rebel ambushes, gave conflicting signals.

Wearing a bullet-proof vest under his batik shirt, President Gus Dur went straight back to the airport after the ceremony, cancelling a planned prayer session at the mosque.

Many of the Acehnese sneered at the overwhelming apprehension over his security. The local political tabloid Kontras carried a report headlined "Gus Dur lost out in the psy-war", referring to sniper threats and escalating attacks on military and police posts that had foreshadowed the visit.

Furthermore, his brief presence in Aceh, accompanied by several ministers and 11 ambassadors from Muslim countries, did nothing to resolve the problems. "It was a political joke," said Mr Faisal Ridha of the Aceh Referendum Information Centre (Sira).

Worse, many of the Acehnese were vexed at the consequence of the visit: there are now more police and soldiers on the streets, after some 2,000 were redeployed to secure the city. Intensified security measures led to numerous roadblocks in the city.

On the eve of Gus Dur's visit, the city's streets were largely deserted in the early evening as its residents feared to provoke the fully-armed troops patrolling the streets. On the day of his arrival, stores were closed and public transportation ceased to run for fear of any conflict.

Many stayed at home to watch his address broadcast live on state-owned TVRI television channel. But the address was hardly watched by the victims of violence still sheltering in refugee camps as they had no access to televisions.

And some who followed the speech remained puzzled about his real intention. "We are not really clear about the purpose of his visit and the point of his speech," said Ms Saiyah of the Action for Tortured Victims in Aceh.

The lack of a dialogue and a meeting with local influential personalities was another sore point. A palace-issued programme of the trip shows that he was scheduled to meet representatives of Sira before he departed for Jakarta.

Governor Abdullah Puteh later said that Sira representatives cancelled the meeting. But when contacted by The Straits Times, Sira said it never scheduled any meeting with the President. In fact, it was not even invited to the ceremony, it said.

Some viewed the President's visit as a political gimmick. "I think he was only reacting to the challenge People's Assembly Speaker Amien Rais made recently that he should visit Aceh," said Mr Tarmizi, a local human rights activist.