CONTRADICTORY news has begun to emerge out of the battlefields in Aceh during the past few weeks. This is unavoidable. More than 2,500 years ago, Greek philosopher Aeschylus said: "In war, truth is the first casualty."

The difficulty in obtaining accurate information about wars must be acknowledged, including the shooting of seven youths at Mata Maplam Village, Bireuen District, North Aceh Regency, two weeks ago. Initially, it was journalists