BANDA ACEH, May 28: Indonesian authorities said on Wednesday they were preparing camps for thousands of civilians displaced by war and would replace four million ID cards — signs the assault on separatist rebels is being stepped up.

Sixteen tented camps in nine districts — including Bireuen, Pidie and North Aceh — had been erected, said martial law administrator Major General Endang Suwarya.

Refugees will be provided with sanitation facilities and temporary classrooms, he said.

Suwarya did not say how many people would be housed in the camps but said there are currently 18,000 refugees in the province. The social affairs ministry said last week it would provide enough tents for 60,000 people.

The ministry said civilians would not be forced to leave combat zones but would be strongly advised to do so.

The military, aided by provincial administrators, will next month issue new ID cards for some 4.2 million residents in Aceh, Suwarya said, which signals heightened efforts by the military to distinguish civilians from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels.

The first step of the process will affect 1.7 million people.

Suwarya said “there are no longer heavy concentrations of GAM” but troops will continue operations in several areas because most of them “have blended in with the public.”

As of Wednesday afternoon — the 10th day of Indonesia’a biggest military operation in a quarter-century — troops had killed 82 rebels and arrested 54 others, Suwarya said.—AFP