Sri Lanka: Civil Conflicts Threaten Relief Efforts
In Aceh and in Sri Lanka, sporadic armed clashes between government forces and separatist groups have jeopardized relief areas, according to the Associated Press in a January 8, report. In Sri Lanka, tension in the north continues between Tamil insurgents and government forces. In the East, a rare clash between Christians and Hindus, left 3 dead and 37 injured. Hundreds of displaced persons protested in the north after United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan abided by a government request not to visit areas under rebel control. Later, Annan told reporters, "I am hoping to come back and visit all areas of the country, not only those repaired but also to celebrate peace."

A leader of the Tamil Tigers guerillas claims the Sri Lankan government "dashed hopes" to revive the peace process, reports the Sri Lanka Academic daily newspaper on January 17. The government has denied charges it is preventing aid from reaching rebel areas, where years of war have shattered infrastructure and stalled economic development. On January 15, a week after Annan's visit, Tamil leader Thamilselvan traveled with the U.N. special coordinator for tsunami relief to rebel areas to assess damage.

US Military Assistance and Western Peace Advocacy
Although an unofficial truce was observed following the December 26 natural disaster, Indonesian military patrols have increased in Aceh. In addition, security concerns have heightened after government forces brought in members of the violent Islamic organizations, Laskar Jihad and Laskar Mujahidin from Java, to conduct "relief" operations. In Banda Aceh, militants warn reign aid workers who come to Aceh to not try to "impose their own culture."

Washington is backing Indonesian political leaders' stated goal to bring an end to the long-running civil war. US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told The Australian daily news he believed the Indonesian military (TNI) and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) had a chance to "come to grips with their problems." He hoped the tsunami would act as a stimulus in the Bush administration's negotiations with Congress to resume full military-to-military relations. Mr. Armitage's hopes for peace were echoed by the US Deputy Defense Secretary, Paul Wolfowitz, who held talks in Jakarta with Indonesian officials.

During a visit to Aceh, Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla said the Government had made tentative contact with the rebels and wanted a long-term truce. If talks ensue, they will become the first real dialogue since Indonesia launched a massive military crackdown on the rebels in May 2003, which has left more than 2000 people dead. However, separatist rebel leaders in Aceh deny contact has been made. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited Aceh on a goodwill mission late last year, but failed to commit to concrete peace offers. A senior European diplomat said the tsunamis had provided the impetus for a peace settlement. He said the mood was clear in a recent meeting Yudhoyono called with ambassadors from six nations. However, a key military commander in Aceh's west coast said the rebels were not to be trusted, and peace talks could help them rearm.

Javanese Islamic Militants Brought by Military
Hundreds of Muslim militants, best known for attacking Jakarta discos, brutality in the Mollucas and advocating Islamic rule through violence, have poured into the devastated Aceh province with the help of the Indonesian military to aid in "disaster relief," reports the Los Angeles Times on January 17. The Islamic Defenders Front and the Indonesian Mujahedin Council have set up camp at the same Indonesian military air base in the provincial capital that is being used by U.S. Navy helicopters for aid flights.

The militants' presence and their apparent plan to develop long-term influence in Aceh could provoke religious conflict. "We saw the American soldiers helping the Acehnese, and that is a good thing," said Hilmy Bakar Almascaty, head of the Islamic Defenders Front mission in Aceh. "They come here to help us and we welcome them. However, if they interfere with our tradition, or civilization or law, that would become a problem."

Indonesian army spokesman Col. Djazairi Nachrowi praised the efforts of the militants and said they should not be discriminated against simply because of their past willingness to use violence. Both the Javanese-dominated army and the Javanese Muslim militants oppose the military campaign by Sumatran Acehnese rebels to establish their own nation. The government has granted Aceh partial autonomy that permits the limited implementation of Islamic law. Although the separatists are devout Muslims, they reject autonomy, saying they are seeking independence, not Islamic law.

The separatists, who were pushed to the interior by the army, suffered relatively few casualties from the tsunami. The Free Aceh Movement immediately declared a cease-fire, but both sides have reported a number of clashes. Col. Ahmad Yani Basuki, an army spokesman, said that the military was stepping up action against the separatists.

In recent years, the Free Aceh Movement has rejected offers of assistance from extremists including representatives of Osama bin Laden and the militant Indonesian group Laskar Jihad. "We chased out the Laskar Jihad because we felt their presence was unwarranted in Aceh and we did not want them meddling," said a spokesman for the Free Aceh Movement.

In Aceh and in Sri Lanka, sporadic armed clashes between government forces and separatist groups have jeopardized relief areas, according to the Associated Press in a January 8, report. In Sri Lanka, tension in the north continues between Tamil insurgents and government forces. In the East, a rare clash between Christians and Hindus, left 3 dead and 37 injured. Hundreds of displaced persons protested in the north after United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan abided by a government request not to visit areas under rebel control. Later, Annan told reporters, "I am hoping to come back and visit all areas of the country, not only those repaired but also to celebrate peace."