The government negotiations with the Aceh rebels are about to collapse. The government will offer nothing more than autonomy while the rebels want independence. If the peace talks break down, more troops will come in and violence will increase. Last year, the violence killed 1700, and 54 have died so far in 2002. Since the independence movement began in 1976, over 10,000 have died. The violence has gotten worse in the last few years with the demise of the former dictatorship's police state apparatus, which forced the rebels to keep a low profile.