As President, Gus Dur should first consult the DPR (parliament) and the MPR (national Assembly) before deciding on a matter related to Indonesia's sovereignty,'' Major General Sudrajat said, quoted by the Republika daily.

Sudrajat, who had earlier said that a referendum on self-determination for Aceh would be unconstitutional, said the military would be ``very concerned'' if a vote on independence was held in the resource rich-province. ``But if a referendum is for a special regional status or autonomy, it's fine,'' he added. If the Acehnese insisted on a vote on independence, the people of Indonesia should be asked in another referendum whether they are prepared to let the province go, he added. ``Aceh does not only belong toAcehnese,'' Sudrajat said.

``If Aceh is still part of Indonesia according to the people of Indonesia, there will be efforts by soldiers to defend the nation's sovereignty, to wipe out separatism,'' he added. Wahid said on Tuesday in Tokyo that he planned to hold a referendum on the future status of Aceh, a staunchly Muslim province, in seven months. DPA adds: Sudrajat also expressed the armed forces' (TNI) opposition to an East Timor-style vote for full independence in the staunchly-Muslim province. ``TNI will only agree to a referendum with two options in Aceh) autonomy or special region,'' Sudrajat said.

Many Indonesians, still shocked by East Timor's August 30 vote to break away, hope Jakarta can appease separatist demands in Aceh without offering independence. But after years of Indonesian military abuses and what is seen as economic exploitation, Acehnese are increasingly demanding the right to choose their own fate.

The President has already offered Aceh a larger share of its own resources andpromised negotiations with local leaders. But local media quoted some Acehnese leaders as saying the option of independence was imperative and could not be bargained away. The Jakarta Post quoted Teuku Don Zulfarhi, secretary-general of the Aceh Merdeka (Free Aceh) movement, as saying Wahid's statement was ``just another gimmick to sell the government to the world''.