A HARDLINE Indonesian Islamic group has attacked the presence of Australian aid workers in tsunami-devastated Aceh, as Labor raised concerns yesterday about their safety in the troubled province.
Firm ... Habib Rizieq Shihab of the Islamic Defender's Front / AP
Habib Rizieq Shihab, head of the Islamic Defender's Front (FPI), said Australian assistance in Aceh could herald the start of an East Timor-style intervention designed to secure independence for the troubled northern province.
The Australian Government insisted yesterday it had no interest in any military involvement in Aceh and played down a threat of confrontation with the growing number of Islamist relief workers also flooding into the area. John Howard, in an interview on global news network CNN, ruled out any involvement by Australian troops in peacekeeping or arming troops on the ground.
The Prime Minister said Australia was not interested in picking sides on Aceh, but was there "as a friend trying to give practical help".
"We're not there in a military role, it's just that our military are there in a humanitarian role," he said.
But Mr Shihab told The Australian he feared the presence of hundreds of Australian troops in Aceh would corrupt the province's strict Islamic culture.
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