Every time we try to make an investigation, they say they're afraid of us. So there are no witnesses. Incidents like the bombing have driven many villagers, who say they want peace above all things, into the arms of GAM, which has begun to cloak itself in the mantle of protector. About 60 people have been killed in January alone and most are noncombatants. In the capital, Banda Aceh, four students have disappeared this month.
University rectors blame the police.
In Geneva earlier this month, they extended a cease-fire until Feb. 15. But those talks have occurred in a vacuum, disconnected from the daily killing in the province by both sides. On Tuesday, Indonesian Defense Minister A.M. Mahfud signaled the government was backing away from further talks. The loss of resource-rich Aceh could have devastating consequences for Indonesia. Unlike East Timor, which won independence in late 1999, Aceh has been a part of the country since independence.