Thousands have died over the years as the Indonesian army struggled to bring Aceh to heel. Any officers or soldiers guilty of crimes against civilians must be brought to book. A commission probing atrocities in Aceh says that it already has identified active and retired officers involved in abuses. These men should be tried, and soon. The military must accept that this is necessary.
Soldiers protest that Acehnese guerrillas also committed crimes.
If so, they should be tried as well, eventually. But that is out of Wahid's control at the moment. Jakarta must also unveil its plans to give Aceh greater autonomy - culturally, politically and economically. The implementation may take time, but the way forward must be made clear. Finally, Wahid will have to provide the referendum, as promised.