Violence in Aceh

Violence in Aceh

In April, after talks with Acehnese rebels broke down, President Wahid authorized his army commanders to restore law and order in Aceh, effectively resuming the war that has affected the province since the 1970s. In September, the Indonesian government sought to appease rebels in Aceh province, where violence had been on the increase since mid-August, by promising an honest and open dialogue.
However, President Megawati Sukarnoputri made it clear that the government would only offer greater autonomy, and not complete independence.

Outbreaks of violence in Sulawesi province continued in early July. Thirteen bodies, all Muslim, were found in a village outside the town of Poso. Poso had been tense since April, when a local court sentenced three Christians to death for inciting clashes with Muslims in the town.