JAKARTA, Nov 10: Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, under growing pressure to stem a tide of separatism in Aceh, today dispatched a senior minister to the troubled province, reports AFP.

Human Rights Minister Hasballah Saad, a native of Aceh, will leave for the strongly Islamic province on Saturday for a trip aimed at preparing the ?ground for a visit by Wahid limself.

The decision came three days after hundreds of thousands of Acehnese rallied in the province's capital Banda Aceh to demand an East Tlmor-style referendum on self-determination.

'The president has asked Hasballah to go to Aceh to hold dialogue with the leaders of the Acehnese society, to obtain pure input, uncontaminated by other interests, so the response of the government will not be wrong.” Security Minister General Wiranto said.

Saad added: 'The president firmly said, return to Aceh and patiently talk to whoever wants to talk with the president and the president will later also come there."

He said Wahid will visit Aceh after his Nahdlatul Ulama Muslim organisation's congress, which opens on November 21.

Wiranto said the government was committed to improving security in Aceh, Including strengthening the police there and rotating