Robert Go, Jakarta – A team dispatched by Indonesia's Parliament to review the progress of martial law operations in Aceh has returned to Jakarta bearing reports of possible violations by soldiers and government officials.

According to team members, soldiers are still prone to committing human rights abuses and extorting money from the Acehnese. There are indications that funds that are meant for housing and feeding refugees, who are driven from their homes by the fighting between Indonesia's military and separatist rebels, may have been used improperly or inefficiently.

The team also said the military needs to do more to avoid civilian casualties and to fully explain situations where non-combatants were killed, in the light of public perception that the soldiers were responsible for such deaths.

Overall, the team's findings do not bode well for the government's campaign to quell separatist aspirations in the troubled province of Aceh, and to win the hearts and minds of its people.

Even if soldiers are wiping out rebel forces and winning that battle, some Members of Parliament, media reports and non-governmental organisations are pointing to increasing resentment among the people towards Indonesian rule.

Mr Ahmad Farhan Hamid, a key member of the team, told The Straits Times: "Some of the people's reports are disturbing. Some legislators believe the government has to change how it operates there if this campaign is to succeed. Without proper treatment of the Aceh people, Indonesia will never truly win this battle against separatism."

He explained that interviews with the Acehnese, both those interred in refugee camps and those still in their villages, had thrown up complaints about alleged mistakes by soldiers or policemen in the region. A common accusation is that Indonesia's men in uniform, especially members of the notoriously undisciplined Brimob police units, intimidated and extracted payments from the Acehnese. People who used the major roads often said they were frequently harassed and asked for money at posts supposedly manned by soldiers or cops.

Another major complaint is that refugees are not receiving all the supplies that should be heading their way. Aid packages, containing food, medicine and other necessities, that do reach refugee camps are said to be in an unusable state. Some of the medicines are past their expiry dates.

There may also be a problem with security at villages left empty when its inhabitants moved into refugee centres, with reports surfacing about missing property and livestock.

Military officials claim that soldiers have killed at least 600 rebels and captured more than 1,300 since May, compared to only 41 Indonesian troopers killed.

Top generals have challenged assertions that soldiers have committed human rights violations and other crimes in Aceh, and said the military itself was punishing those caught red-handed. They mention soldiers who have been given light jail sentences after being found guilty of rape, theft, robbery or excessive violence.

Mr Farhan said his team will visit Aceh again in the next two months but will not file formal reports on this issue. It will, instead, present its opinions to the government privately. The report could also lead to better treatment for soldiers.

One of the recommendations the team intends to make is raising soldiers' daily allowance from 20,000 rupiah to about 35,000 rupiah. Lawmakers have said soldiers resort to extortion because they are poorly paid.