Tomi Soetjipto, Banda Aceh – Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri made an emotional apology to the people of rebellious Aceh on Saturday over their suffering under past governments before being jeered by scores of students.

In a speech to 1,500 local residents at the main mosque in the provincial capital Banda Aceh, Megawati called on Acehnese to be patient as the government tried to develop the province and urged all sides to stop what she called meaningless violence. She said dialogue was the only way to halt spiralling bloodshed. But Megawati's second apology to Acehnese since taking office last July was marred by a testy exchange with students who dismissed her olive branch.

Troops and police kept close guard over Megawati, with snipers patrolling roof tops while some roads were closed during her six-hour visit. She left in the late afternoon for Jakarta. "Governments in the past have had shortcomings and made many mistakes. For that, personally and on behalf of the government as the president of Indonesia, I offer my deep apologies to the people of Aceh," said Megawati, wearing elaborate, traditional Acehnese dress and a purple Muslim headscarf. "But we must look to the future, otherwise we will get nowhere," added a visibly emotional Megawati, constantly waving her right hand for emphasis and promising to return to Aceh.

Megawati's visit to resource-rich Aceh was a test of her goal to stabilise Indonesia, although analysts dismiss the chance of a quick fix to stop bloodshed in the staunchly Muslim province wracked by a decades-long separatist war.

Indeed, many Acehnese were scornful of the visit, expecting little beyond more hollow promises and ignorance of the extent of disenchantment over decades of human rights abuses, often at the hands of the security forces.

Students strike nerve

Already irritated with the students as she neared the end of her speech to the unscreened crowd at the mosque, Megawati ordered some students to sit when they tried to ask questions. At least 100 students then jeered Megawati when she promised to return to Jakarta and study what she had learned during her trip to Banda Aceh, 1,700 km northwest of the Indonesian capital. "I hope the people of Aceh can treat their guests well without making unpleasant noises. I say again, even God ordered guests to be treated well," Megawati said, her voice rising.

Megawati earlier went to the governor's office in Banda Aceh to hold closed-door talks with community leaders. The students said they were angered they were not invited to that meeting. "All I wanted to ask was why no students were invited to the dialogue. This did not represent the Aceh people," said Alfian, one student, adding he did not mean disrespect to Megawati. "This is a useless visit. I do not need promises ... another apology does not mean anything." Analysts had already expressed similar doubts.

Megawati has taken personal responsibility for resolving a conflict in Aceh that is increasingly claiming innocent lives, but has said little about her policy plans apart from a special autonomy package she signed last month.

"A one-day visit cannot change the situation, the Acehnese are tired of promises of justice and peace. The situation here is so acute and complex," Humam Hamid, a political analyst at the state-run University of Syiah Kuala in Banda Aceh said earlier.

Megawati did not met rebels of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) during the trip and has flatly refused to heed their demands for the province's split from the rest of the country.

The dusty streets of Banda Aceh were quiet, as many people stayed home and some shops closed for the day.

Special autonomy the only option

Acehnese say that for Megawati to have any hope of rolling back suspicion of Indonesian leaders that extends back to her father, founding President Sukarno, she would need to launch serious investigations into years of human rights abuses.

During her speech Megawati referred to the special autonomy package, which gives the territory of four million people greater power to handle its own affairs and more share of the wealth that locals complain has largely been siphoned off by Jakarta.

The province is a major oil and gas producer and an important source of revenue for the cash-strapped central government. Aceh is one of Megawati's toughest challenges among the woes she inherited from Abdurrahman Wahid, who was ousted as Indonesia's leader by the top assembly in July for incompetence. More than 1,500 people, mostly civilians, have died in an upsurge in violence since January in heavily militarised Aceh.