The province lies on the northwestern tip of the island of Sumatra, on the strategic Strait of Malacca. Last Monday 500,000 people rallied in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh, demanding a referendum on independence. They were evidently inspired by the Aug. 30 referendum in East Timor, although the independence movement in Aceh began years before the issue arose in East Timor. Indonesia's new president, Abdurrahman Wahid, said he supports the idea of a referendum in Aceh, adding he did not expect the vote to favor independence.
Indications are that judgment is wrong.
Moreover, the national legislature opposes a referendum. The speaker of the parliament, Akbar Tandjung, said legislators were not in favor of allowing Aceh to vote on its future. Aceh is more important to Indonesia than East Timor. It has a large timber industry and is rich in fossil fuels. The population of 4.5 million is significantly larger than East Timor's, which is about 800,000.