Jakarta – There is concern that the general elections in Aceh will not be democratic if the province is still under a state of marshal law.

Ahmad Fikri, Jakarta -- West Bandung (West Java) police have arrested Mohammad bin Toyib (26) who they say is the adjutant of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) finance minister.

This was revealed to journalists by the head of the West Bandung police, Eddy Mulyono, at the Bandung police headquarters on Tuesday March 2.

Banda Aceh – Since marshal law came into force in Aceh on May 19, 2003, the Banda Aceh Military Court I/01 has handed down verdicts on 90 legal cases involving 120 TNI (armed forces) officers.

[The following is an abridged translation of the testimonies of six Acehnese pro-democracy activists who were either abducted or managed to evade capture during a wave of arrests carried out by the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) in Banda Aceh between February 19-23 which was compiled by the Jakarta based organisation Aceh Papua Solidarity (Solidari

Banda Aceh – Police have admitted to arresting and detaining a number of student activists in Aceh. Of the eleven activists which were arrested, three of them are still being held under charges of being involved with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

In relation to the release of two Women’s Organisation for Aceh Democracy (Organisasi Perempuan Demokratik Aceh, Orpad) members by the Banda Aceh Mobile Brigade (Brimob), two other Orpad members, Harlina and Iwan Irama Putra, who is also a member of the Linge University and High-school Students Association (Ikatan Mahasiswa dan Pelajar Linge, IM

On February 22, Iwan Irama Putra, a member of Student Solidarity for the People (Solidaritas Mahasiswa Untuk Rakyat, SMUR) and the Linge University and High-school Students Association (Ikatan Mahasiswa dan Pelajar Linge, IMPEL) was arrested.

[The following is a translation of a press release by the Lingke Association of University and High-School Students (Mahasiswa dan Pelajar Lingke, IMPEL) which was issued on February 26 in response to the arrest of a number of IMPEL humanitarian workers in Aceh on February 23.]

Yogyakarta – Around 100 activists from the group People’s Solidarity for Aceh (Solidaritas Rakyat untuk Aceh) held a street action in Yogyakarta, Central Java, on Thursday February 26.

Jakarta – On Monday morning, February 23, four non-government organisation (NGO) activists who have publicly rejected the military operation in Aceh continuing during the 2004 general elections, were arrested by a special unit of the Mobile Brigade (Brimob). As of Tuesday February 24, the whereabouts of the four activists remains unclear.