The war between the Indonesian government and separatist rebels in the province of Aceh has claimed thousands of lives in the last few years. Aceh is located at the northern tip of the island of Sumatra, and has a population of 4.5 million. The conflict there began in 1976, when the Free Aceh Movement (known as GAM, an acronym of its Indonesian name) launched its struggle for independence. Since Indonesia entered the reform era after the fall of General Suharto in 1998, the level of violence has risen. Rebels have intensified their drive for independence, and been met with an increasingly brutal response from the Indonesian army. Civilians are caught in the crossfire. Rights activists say that more than 1,200 civilians have been killed so far this year, with 330 more missing, and nearly 2,000 having been subjected to torture or abuse by government forces.

As a civil conflict, the war in Aceh is governed by Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions and by customary international law. The deliberate killing, torture or degrading treatment of civilians or enemy captives is forbidden, and both sides are permitted to attack only militarily significant targets.

Peace talks due to begin in early November may offer a chance to end the violence. The talks are being held in Geneva, under the auspices of the Henry Dunant Center for Humanitarian Dialogue. At the last talks in May, the two sides agreed to hold a dialogue based on autonomy for Aceh within Indonesia, and to work toward a ceasefire. But the conflict and the breaches of international humanitarian law have continued. There are currently 22,000 Indonesian troops in the province.

This selection of images by the photojournalist Jacqueline Koch looks at the lasting effects of the conflict, particularly among the women in Aceh’s traditional Muslim society. Wives have become widows. Young girls and old women are confined to refugee camps. Mothers have entered the political arena and teenage girls have become rebel fighters.

The photo essay also examines the issues behind the conflict, including the legacy of government corruption in Aceh, and the behaviour of the Indonesian forces.

About the photographer:
Jacqueline Koch is a freelance photojournalist based on Whidbey Island in the U.S. state of Washington. She went to Indonesia in the fall of 2000, with a Pew Fellowship in International Journalism, to report on the separatist conflict in Aceh. She has made regular return trips since then. Her photographs and articles have appeared in Newsweek, Time, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and other publications.