May 10, 2003	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 7, 1424

BANDA ACEH (Indonesia), May 9: The United States and other world powers urged Indonesia on Friday not to launch a military operation in Aceh province, as Jakarta sparked fears by sending reinforcements to the region.

A five-month peace agreement between the Indonesian government and separatist rebels is close to breakdown.

The US, European Union and Japan, in a joint statement, expressed “deep concern” at the possible breakdown.

More than 1,000 troops arrived in Aceh on Wednesday to prepare for the expected operation. Six thousand more were on the way to supplement a reported 35,000 police and soldiers already in the province on Sumatra island.

The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) said it has ordered guerrillas to return to base and take up defensive positions. In a statement it also urged ExxonMobil to shut down its operations if fighting formally begins, to ensure the safety of employees.

Police on Friday arrested four GAM members of a joint committee established to monitor the ceasefire, another GAM member of the committee said.

A source close to the peace process confirmed three were arrested but did not know why.

The EU, US and Japan, who co-chaired a Tokyo conference last December on aid for Aceh, strongly urged GAM “without further delay” to declare unconditional support for a peaceful solution and respect for the terms of the peace deal, “especially with regard to demilitarisation and an eventual political solution.”

They said they “strongly hope” Jakarta can pursue peaceful alternatives to the proposed operation.

“We hope both parties will put above other interests the clear wish of the Acehnese people to live in peace and security,” the statement said.

War has already resumed unofficially with at least 13 people killed this week.

The government says GAM must publicly accept autonomy rather than independence as a basis for talks and must start disarming by Monday as a precondition for any meeting to salvage the peace pact.—AFP