Indonesia moved thousands more troops toward Aceh province Tuesday, warning that a major military offensive against separatist guerrillas could be days away. The government had given the Free Aceh Movement until Monday to disarm, drop its long-held claims of independence for the province and accept a regional autonomy package. The rebels ignored the deadline, saying they were prepared to fight what could be a bloody new phase in a 26-year conflict that has killed nearly 12,000 people.
| "Yar! We'll murderlize them infidels! Or whatever they are..." |
But they also suggested there still was room for compromise. "We are always ready to negotiate," said Tengku Sofyan Ibrahim Tiba, a rebel negotiator. "But if the government launches a military operation, we will deal with this."
| "I mean, we're always willing to sit around and talk, talk, talk, until our lips go numb. While we're doing that, other people can be productively employed, cutting people's heads off and blowing up schools and such..." |
The two sides signed a peace agreement late last year but the pact has unraveled in recent weeks. Last week, rebels issued a statement calling on fighters to return to their bases. International mediators insisted a last-minute deal to save the Dec. 9 accord was still possible.
| "There're still some people whose lips aren't quite numb!" |
Talks continued Tuesday in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh, Indonesia's capital Jakarta, and Stockholm, Sweden — where some key rebels live in exile.
| They're the ones who're too important to the movement to get close to the gunfire... |
Despite those efforts, the army seemed intent on going ahead with what could be its biggest operation in years. Indonesia has 25,000-30,000 troops in the oil- and gas-rich province on the northern tip of Sumatra and more than 6,000 others arrived Tuesday on a nearby island. An army spokesman said they were "waiting for the green light." Rebel forces are estimated at 3,000-5,000 fighters.
| High casualty counts on both sides will be nice... |
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