Wahid's Aceh visit in doubt

Reports from Indonesia indicate that President Abdurrahman Wahid may postpone a planned visit to the troubled province of Aceh.

Officials spoke of the president's busy schedule but made no mention of the continuing separatist conflict in the province.

Senior police officals in Aceh, quoted by local media, say a limited military operation against separatist rebels is needed immediately.

More than two thousand extra troops have been deployed in the province, where fresh clashes were reported on Wednesday.

The international oil company, ExxonMobil, has suspended operations at most of its oil and gas fields in north Aceh due to security concerns.

The Indonesian navy is also reported to have deployed several warships and hundreds of marines to support the military operation.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service