History a warning for Indonesian military in Aceh

3.00pm

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia - Could they talk, the 2200 Dutch and Indonesian soldiers buried in a well-kept cemetery in Aceh's capital might well speak of the folly of trying to subdue the proud people of this region.

As the Indonesian military gears up for the second week of a major offensive against Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels, it needs no greater reminder of the battle ahead than this graveyard, where every name has been etched into grey stone at the entrance.

Indonesia's devoutly Muslim province of Aceh has long fought outside rule. The Aceh War against Dutch colonialists, who at times employed Indonesian soldiers, was fought sporadically from 1873 until the Japanese invasion of the archipelago in 1942.

Indeed, military analysts said after failing for 27 years to beat GAM, Jakarta was not about to eradicate the rebels this time despite launching its biggest offensive ever against them, partly explaining why it was not just looking for battlefield success.

"I think they realise the true fight is in public support and that's where they have got some work to do. The spin they are trying to put on this offensive is the softer approach, the hearts and minds," said Ken Conboy, author of a recent book on Indonesia's special forces.

Indonesia has kept reminding the media that the campaign is also about delivering aid, securing roads and restoring order.

But some early signs are not good that the military has curbed its murky reputation for abuses. Foreign media have reported the killing of up to eight villagers by troops in one incident, some of boys as young as 11.

The military has denied killing civilians and said anyone found guilty of such offences would be punished.

Indonesia's military chief has said he wants GAM cut to its "smallest unit" in six months, the length of time martial law is effective in the province on the northern tip of Sumatra island.

One senior military analyst said he believed the military aim was to isolate GAM in remote areas and essentially bring violence down to a level Jakarta considered acceptable.

But the fundamental weakness was the standard of training of the Indonesian security forces, and their proven inability to conduct operations without alienating ordinary people, he said.

He said the military had learned some lessons from the US-led invasion of Iraq, such as making sure the media was briefed, and allowing reporters to ride with troops in the field.

Damien Kingsbury, an expert on the Indonesian military at Australia's Deakin University, said the campaign would be long, with momentum difficult to sustain partly because of costs.

"Frankly, I think six months would be optimistic. What we are likely to see is an initial big push, which we are seeing at the moment, and then after a few weeks it will slow down," he said.

Indonesia is one of Asia's most cash-strapped countries.

Another thing is the terrain. Parts of Aceh are rugged mountains and thick jungle. Even after a short drive from the coastal provincial capital Banda Aceh, peaks rise up sharply.

Indonesia re-ignited the war after last-ditch talks in Tokyo a week ago failed to rescue a five-month-old peace pact. More than 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict since 1976.

In fact, tackling GAM in the jungles in some ways is easier than winning over Aceh's four million people, who have long complained of human rights abuses by the military. But they also criticise GAM for being heavy-handed and extorting money from civilians.

After decades of intermittent fighting and broken promises that have condemned Acehnese to a life of violence, intimidation, food shortages and suffering, trust in Jakarta is rock-bottom.

The government has 45,000 troops and police in Aceh, with more on the way, against about 5000 GAM fighters.

Outside the arched entrance of the cemetery one old Acehnese man summed up the challenge.

"Acehnese are a tough people. If you approach us by being harsh, we can be just as harsh as you," he said.

- REUTERS