But the company remains a target of violence and deep resentment because of its association with the Jakarta government. Indonesians are also angry at their former leader for a string of lucrative deals signed with foreign investors. Mobil's contract is typical. Most of the revenue from it goes directly to Jakarta without any benefit to Aceh, although proposed legislation would amend this. And the same military accused of atrocities against the rebel movement and local population provides Mobil with security services.
Some locals say the troops even use a perceived threat against the U.S. company to go after rebels.
Mobil says it doesn't know who is responsible for the violence. We don't get involved in the politics, but we, of course, are highly concerned with the violence. To the guerrillas and many Acehnese, Mobil and its production contract represent Indonesian politics at its worst. In 1998, a popular uprising swept Mr. Suharto from power, unleashing a wave of separatist sentiment across Indonesia's 17,000 islands. But one of the prime targets of the new rebels has also been these old business contracts.