THE war in Aceh, will only traumatize children and women, just like what happened when the region was declared a military operation zone in the past," shouted Ratna Sarumpaet, the director and writer of a dramatic performance called Alia, The Wound in the Veranda of Mecca.

Her warning has become a reality. Violence perpetrated against women in Aceh has not been restricted to the theatrical stage. On Friday two weeks ago, four women from North