Last month the Indonesian government launched a military crackdown in its latest endeavour to stamp out a little known but bloody 26-year rebellion in Aceh that has claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people.

This latest drive has inspired several groups to suggest sanctions against Sweden, where leaders of the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front (ASNLF) reside and, according to several sources, direct paramilitary operations in Indonesia by phone and email.

Safe haven

ASNLF founder Hasan di Tiro and other members fled to Sweden soon after declaring Aceh independent of Indonesia in 1976. They recently told the Associated Press in Stockholm that they have nothing to worry about, claiming that as Swedish citizens, the Swedish government protects them.

Amongst those Indonesians who disagree is Dr Amien Rais, speaker of the upper house of Parliament. "Just cut our diplomatic relations with Sweden," he suggested last week in the People's Consultative Assembly.

Mission

A top-level delegation headed by former foreign minister Ali Alatas, is currently in Sweden with the aim of persuading the Swedish government to extradite the ASNLF leadership, or at least prevent it from "interfering in Indonesia's domestic affairs", as Alatas puts it.

Business groups are calling for action against Sweden too. The Indonesian Importers Association banned its members from bringing Swedish products into the country and its chief executive, Mr Amiruddin Saud, is pressing the central bank, Bank Indonesia, to halt letter of credit transactions for Swedish wares.

This article represents the views of the author and not necessarily those of the ICC or any of the other partners in DC-PRO.