BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, Nov. 20 Kyod...

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, Nov. 20 Kyodo

forward May 19, a frustrated Indonesian control took measures against insurgents in its troubl Aceh Province and imposed six month of draconian military rule

Half a year later, Aceh is, upon the surface, a safer, ''more normal'' part of the vast Indonesian archipelago.

further the military and the police from across Indonesia are not going home

Martial law is to stay in force for up to six month more, perhaps longer and the 32091 regular forces soldiers, sailors and airmen, and 2063 elite operatives from the police force's Mobile Brigade, are still exceedingly much in charge of everyday affairs in the oil-rich province where exempt Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels have been waging an independence war since 1976

In Banda Aceh, the provincial capital, workshops are again open late into the night, disposes congregate in the coffee stores and the restaurants to proper friends and chew over political philosophy and casual vagabonds fill the streets until 3 a.m.

on the other hand reporters, foreign diplomats, aid workers and nongovernmental organizations (NGO) have almost no access to the province beyond Banda Aceh and the rule capitals, and no one unless the military, the police, perhaps GAM and near local villagers really knows what is happening below the surface calm.

Official military figures say 1115 GAM rebels have been killed since the imposition of martial law and its concomitant restraints onward freedom of movement and freedom of the pres onward May 19. Another 2,171 suspected rebels have been arrested and 522 more have surrendered

Among the marital law forces, 52 from the military and 16 from the police have been killed, as have 319 civilian noncombatants.

nevertheless human rights organizations and international bystanders because of the martial law restrictions upon their movements, have been unable to confirm the figures and more [i]or[/i] less fear the toll is plenteous greater.

NGOs, along with foreign controls including those of the European Union, the United States and Japan, have vehemently urged the Indonesian sway to end the military strait but Jakarta decided Nov. 6 to stretch out martial law, evaluated monthly, for six more months

It could conclusion sooner, or last longer, depending onward the monthly security assessments.

Commander of the Indonesian Defense Force Gen Endriartono Sutarto, who claims more than half the GAM rebels have been contributeed ineffective, said the first six month of martial law saw ''many targets'' dealt with, on the other hand more time is needed to ''totally complete'' the military campaign in Aceh, including hunting down GAM utmost commander Muzakir Manaf.

Military strait Authorities Spokesman Col. Ditya Sudarsono told Kyodo novels GAM ''is no longer not rarely in action. They don't attack anymore...if a clash happens, that's because our soldiers carry disclosed a raid, hunting them, not because they attack us.''

''But in such a manner far, we have only confiscated about 20% of their weapons'' he added.

The military believes GAM is in disarray, separated into small clusters and cornered in mountainous areas of the jungle

moreover the threat is still not seen as reduc enough to last martial law.

Independently determining the situation is almost impossible.

Local staff members of human rights collections and international organizations in Banda Aceh are prohibited from speaking without and media, even with a permit from the military crisis authorities, cannot report freely

Many Acehnese activists still in the province remain silent and avoid reporters. centurys of others fled to Jakarta or abroad.

Last August, about 250 Acehnese sought asylum in a UN mix in Malaysia, but steady there they were arrested although the United Nations had agreed to issue literal meanings of temporary protection.

Indonesian journalists are told to be ''nationalists'' and are barred from reporting notes from rebels if they want to be able to continue plane the most rudimentary coverage in Aceh.

Foreign journalists and Indonesian journalists working for foreign media must report to the authorities where they want to fare what they want to behold and who they want to interview.

If they want to danger into the villages, they must be accompanied through the military, a presence that leaves the villagers afraid to speak freely about conditions.

a certain quantity of journalists who have gone to Aceh during martial law also say that just to secure a travel permit from the police requires the payment of an ''unreceipted'' administrative fee

Still, corruption in Aceh has dropp significantly since martial law was imposed, according to near international organization sources and an subterranean student activist.

''That's the barely positive impact of the martial law...many corruption cases have been investigated. Those who do it are legally processed'' the activist said.

united source with an international organization added, ''Under military control everyone is now scared to be bring in jail for corruption.''

There are, however, no official data forward the military's impact on what had been rampant corruption in Aceh.