AFP, February 28, 2004

BANDA ACEH: A court in Aceh province on Saturday sentenced a local legislator to three years' jail for treason.

Marwan bin Muhammad, 43, a legislator for the Aceh Besar district, was guilty of making separate donations of two million rupiah (US$237) to the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist rebels between 2000 and 2001, judges at the district court said.

Bin Muhammad was also found guilty of attending a speech by rebels in the district's Indrapuri area in 2001. His lawyers said they were considering appealing the ruling.

Courts have jailed scores of GAM members and sympathizers since the government placed Aceh under martial law on May 19 and launched an all-out military offensive to crush the separatist movement.

In October, a court in Aceh sentenced five former rebel negotiators to between 12 and 15 years for treason and terrorism.

The military says it has killed some 1,300 rebels and says 2,000 GAM rebels or sympathisers have been arrested or have surrendered since then.