Jakarta – Separatist guerillas in Aceh are increasingly cornered and disunited, Indonesia's top security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said yesterday. "After visiting Aceh, in general it can be concluded that the wheel of the government is now functioning better than before and the armed actions of the GAM are decreasing, even though there are still sporadic attacks," the minister said.

The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has been fighting for an Islamic state in the province of Aceh on Sumatra island since 1976.

Mr Susilo, who led a top-level delegation to Aceh on Wednesday, said rebels were increasingly feeling the heat from security forces and were moving to areas previously spared violence, such as central Aceh. The minister, quoted by the state Antara news agency, said he believed GAM no longer had a strong force and was split between moderates and radicals. "I caught a strong impression that the hardline elements in GAM only want independence, but there are also other elements which are not radical," he said.

Mr Susilo said President Megawati Sukarnoputri's government planned to extend peace talks, which so far have been limited to the government and GAM, to cover other elements of society. He did not elaborate.

Ms Megawati has signed an autonomy law which, among other things, gives Aceh control over 70 per cent of its oil and gas revenues. She has promised a fresh approach based on dialogue but has ruled out independence, which the rebels insist on. Jakarta has held a series of meetings with GAM in Geneva since last year, but they have only been able to agree on a series of shaky and short-lived truces.