Jakarta deadline looms on Aceh

The Indonesian army is aiming to wipe out the separatist rebels

Indonesia will wait one more month before deciding whether to extend the period of martial law in the war-torn province of Aceh, according to security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

President Megawati Sukarnoputri gave her ministers the time to evaluate the situation before the current period of martial law ends in mid-October, Mr Yudhoyono said.

The military is now in the fourth month of its crackdown against separatist rebels from the Free Aceh Movement (Gam), who have been fighting for independence since 1976.

The government could either extend the current martial law status or replace it with a civil emergency status, Mr Yudhoyono said.

But he added that the military must "maintain the momentum" of the offensive to expel Gam from Aceh.

Military spokesman Ditya Sudarsono said that, as of Thursday, 845 guerrillas had been killed since the offensive began on 19 May.

In contrast, only 39 soldiers and 15 police officers had been killed, along with 319 civilians, according to military figures.

The rebels dispute this figure. But with restricted media access in the province, independent information is difficult to obtain.

Rare interview

On Thursday, Mrs Megawati consented to a rare press interview by the Indonesian newspaper Kompas.

In what is said to be her first interview with an Indonesian newspaper since she assumed office in July 2001, the president did not mention the situation in Aceh.

But she confirmed she would stand for re-election in 2004.

She acknowledged that "many are expressing their dissatisfaction with the government that I am heading," but added: "Who can just wave a magic wand and overcome this prolonged crisis?"

Meanwhile, representatives from the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) met Malaysian authorities on Friday, in an effort to persuade Kuala Lumpur not to expel the Acehnese asylum seekers who have recently arrived in the country.

Nearly 300 immigrants - mostly from Aceh - have been arrested in recent weeks, as they tried to enter the UNHCR's office in Kuala Lumpur to apply for asylum.

But Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid said that more than 70% of the recent detainees had already been repatriated to Indonesia.

"Our domestic laws do not recognise the asylum seekers or refugees," Syed Hamid told the Associated Press news agency.

"We do not want to send the wrong signals and (open) the floodgates for refugees," he added.

According to international law, refugees recognised by the UN cannot be deported against their will, and last month UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers expressed concern that deporting the Achenese migrants might "endanger their lives and well-being".

But Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, and does not recognise political refugees.