Vice President Hamzah Haz denied here yesterday that the Government's plan to form a new security command in Maluku is an attempt to impose martial law in the conflict-torn province. According to Hamzah, the new command would be working alongside the local civil emergency Government, which has proved ineffective. "There should be no more... misunderstandings between the Governor, the Police chief, and the military commander during the execution of their duties," Hamzah told reporters.

Despite the recent agreement between the Government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), nine more people, including three rebels, were killed in separate gunfights in the conflict-ridden province over the weekend.

Lt. Col. Supartodi, chief of the Pidie Military District, said here yesterday that three rebels were killed in gunfights between soldiers and rebels in Pidie, North Aceh, while the local office of the Indonesian Red Cross confirmed yesterday that it evacuated six bodies on Friday and Saturday which were believed to be victims of the prolonged conflict between the GAM and security authorities.

Tension in war-ridden Aceh, especially East Aceh, was rising following the release by GAM of female students allegedly abducted early this month. Local people in Peureulak, East Aceh, worried about fiercer clashes in the near future after security authorities adopted new measures, while GAM expressed its readiness to face any military crackdown on its stronghold.

GAM and the local military have traded warnings that they would resort to tough measures against any abuse of students or children suspected of espionage. Tengku Ishak Daud warned the local military and police against using students and children to seek intelligence on GAM hideouts and activities in the regency, saying that GAM was ready to face whatever operation the local security authorities might launch and would continue fighting for the independence of the province. During the release of nine students somewhere in Peureulak, he said: "The Indonesian Government, and especially the military and the police, should not involve students and other innocent people in the conflict because they know nothing about what is really going on in the province." he said on Tuesday. Ishak Daoud explained that students were taken from their houses, with their parents' permission, to be given an explanation about GAM's struggle. "They need the explanation after being used by the local military and police for espionage."

Capt. Agus Setiawan, spokesman for the security restoration operation in Aceh, accused GAM of burning down several school buildings in the regency in an attempt to prevent Acehnese people from being indoctrinated by the Indonesian Government and to persuade them to join GAM. He added: "We have deployed hundreds of soldiers and police to enhance security in the regency and to intensify the operation to crack down on GAM strongholds." Agus denied GAM's accusation that students were being used for espionage, claiming that the military and the police had their own intelligence units to monitor GAM's activities in the province.

Muhammad Yakub, principal of state senior high school I in Peureulak, said that tension in the Peureulak subdistrict had been rising following the students' abduction, as the military had intensified its operation to hunt down rebels. "Most people won't go out of their house, especially at night, for fear of violence and abduction," he said. Ulidiana, an abductee, said they were treated humanely and given a lecture on GAM's struggle for Aceh's independence during their 20-day abduction in a forest area in the regency.

Today, GAM released nine senior high school and university students somewhere in a remote area in the regency at the request of their parents, their school principal and human rights activists. Fitri, coordinator of PBHAM, the human rights organization that mediated the release, said it took place peacefully. Despite the peace talks, the violence has continued. Over the last two weeks, at least 26 people have been killed in gunfights between the two sides.