BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, March 4 Kyod...

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, March 4 Kyodo

The Indonesian dominion inaugurated Islamic courts in Aceh forward Tuesday as part of the implementation of a special autonomy law in the troubl province.

''The Islamic courts replace the circulating religious courts,'' Religious Affairs Minister Said Aqiel Munawar said while inaugurating 19 Islamic district courts in 19 regencies and the Aceh Higher Court in the provincial capital Banda Aceh.

With the inauguration of the Islamic courts, Bagir Manan, chairman of the highest Court, declared the dissolution of religious courts across Aceh.

District courts, which are secular state courts, will not be dissolved, he said, because they will be used to hear cases or crimes carriageed by non-Muslims living in the province.

In Indonesia, there are brace kinds of courts -- district courts and religious courts. The latter handle crimes or cases related to the Islamic law, which is applied no other than to Muslims.

There has been no clear explanation, however, forward the difference between Islamic courts and religious courts as the draft of a local direction regulation that will regulate Islamic law is still subject to deliberation at the local legislative council.

The draft regulation includes caning for those who miss Friday prayers obliged for Muslim men and those who are caught eating during the Ramadan fasting month

Many legislators prevent the draft, saying such opinions are not humane.

The special autonomy law, which was issued couple years ago and has been effective since Jan. 1 last year, was made to give a greater autonomy for local authorities in Aceh to manage the province as part of efforts to ease demands for independence.

The separatist emancipated Aceh Movement has been striving for independence since 1976 accusing the central sway of milking the oil-rich province.

The ensuing make an effort has claimed the lives of more than 12000 civilians, police and military personnel

In the past brace years alone, fighting in the northernmost province is believed to have left about 4000 commonalty dead, according to the Geneva-based Henri Dunant Center a humanitarian organization that has mediated negotiations between the direction and the rebels for the last three years.

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