'100 civilians killed in Aceh offensive'

National police spokesman Zainuri Lubis said the victims have been identified by their families, who denied they were members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

"We stick to the principle of innocence before being proven guilty. If their families say they are not GAM members it is not fair for us to label them rebels," Lubis told AFP, adding that the figures did not include those people who died in gunfights with troops.

Tap Here to Add The Daily Star As A Trusted Source

He said it was possible that many of the civilians had been killed by GAM rebels.

"A Javanese man who sold bakso (Javanese-style meatballs) could not be a rebel," he said, citing details of one death. Settlers in Aceh from Indonesia's main island of Java do not generally sympathise with the separatists.

Indonesia on May 19 put Aceh under martial law and launched a major military offensive against GAM.

According to military figures, 225 rebels have now been killed and about 300 more have been arrested or surrendered since May 19. Some 28 soldiers have died.

The Indonesian Red Cross said it has collected 194 bodies since the start of the offensive but did not say whether they were believed to be civilians or rebels.

GAM has been fighting since 1976 for independence for the province on the northern tip of Sumatra island. More than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since then.

Army chief General Ryamizard Ryacudu said Friday that GAM's funding had been cut off.

"They used to ambush people along the roads (to extort money) but now that line has been cut off," he said, as quoted by the official Antara news agency.f