The military chief in Indonesia's Aceh province described foreigners providing relief aid for tsunami survivors in the region as insolent for refusing to follow directives given by local officers.

"Many foreign teams are insolent in their work and they are not following established coordination," Major General Endang Suwarya was quoted by the state Antara news agency as saying. "They should have followed rules laid down by the host," he added, referring to both overseas civilian and military aid workers.

The presence of foreigners, particularly military personnel, is a sensitive issue for Indonesia's own armed forces. Prior to the disaster, Indonesian troops had sealed off the province while they tried to crush separatist rebels.

While access was granted after the tsunami, the government earlier this month imposed tough rules for foreigners working in Aceh, requiring them to register with authorities and confining them to main towns. Officials said the regulations were necessary to prevent attacks from the rebels who they say are trying to disrupt aid operations – a charge denied by the guerrillas.

Suwarya said the foreigners' indifference had made it difficult for the military to guarantee their safety.

Thousands of foreign volunteers and armed forces have taken part in relief operations in Aceh, where more than 170,000 people were killed by the December 26 tsunami disaster.

Indonesia had earlier given foreign militaries until the end of March to leave the country but last week backed down from the deadline following criticism.

The large presence of foreigners in Aceh, where the Indonesian military has lanched an all-out offensive to crush the rebels, prompted suspicion and a rise in nationalist sentiment here.

The Indonesian military insists it has the final say on the movements of foreign troops in Aceh.