Indonesia: August 21, 2003

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 The fighting in Aceh continues, and is likely to go on for months or years. The army says it has killed about 700 rebels and arrested another 1600. But they initially estimated that there were 5,000 active separatist rebels and the rebels are still attacking civilians that won't support them, or are supporting the government.

The government is having a problem admitting that the terrorist group  Jemaah Islamiyah exists. Indonesian religious leaders denounce the existence of a terrorist group in Indonesia, even though many  Jemaah Islamiyah admit their membership and some have been convicted of their crimes. The religious leaders insist that true Moslems could not commit these terrorist crimes.