A pro-independence group in Indonesia's Aceh province has accused police and troops of intimidation and violence in the run-up to the general election on April 5.

The Aceh Referendum Information Center (SIRA) in a statement said troops or police threatened village chiefs in East Aceh and killed two uncooperative members of the public. Acehnese will vote under martial law, which was imposed last May when troops and police launched an all-out assault to crush separatist guerrillas.

SIRA said soldiers shot dead a village chief in Pidie district on December 12 because he refused to cooperate over election arrangements.

It said troops from the Kostrad strategic reserve abducted a vocal figure in the Ranto Panyang area of East Aceh on January 29. The man's body, showing mutilation and torture marks, was found a day later, SIRA said.

It said troops or police in at least three parts of East Aceh threatened village chiefs that they would shoot people unless the elections run smoothly.

Aceh military spokesman Asep Sapari said he had to check on the reported killings since they allegedly happened some weeks ago. "I am just questioning why such incidents, which happened a long time ago, are only brought out to the public now. The intentions of SIRA are questionable," Sapari told AFP.

He said the military and other authorities have not received any complaints of intimidation and the election campaign was proceeding smoothly.

The military has said it would welcome foreign election observers in Aceh but they will be barred from certain conflict-prone zones.

SIRA campaigns for an independence referendum in Aceh on Sumatra island, where the Free Aceh Movement has been fighting since 1976. SIRA's leader Muhammad Nazar was sentenced last July to five years' jail for sedition.