Indonesia has warned it may declare a state of emergency to fight a long-running separatist conflict in the northern province of Aceh.

Top security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has warned the violence there is getting out of hand following a series of high-profile murders and kidnappings.

We have told the world that it is difficult for us to hold dialogue with terrorists

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

In an apparent hardening of the government position he declared the separatists as "terrorists".

The two sides have held a series of peace talks, most recently in May, but no progress has been made.

More than 10,000 people have died in the 26-year-old conflict, with fresh killings an almost daily occurrence. Various ceasefires have been agreed but never held.

"We have told the world that it is difficult for us to hold dialogue with terrorists," Mr Yudhoyono said on Thursday. "Do the United States and other Western countries talk to terrorists?"

Kidnappings

Mr Yudhoyono is asking parliament to support a declaration of civil emergency in Aceh, which is one step down from martial law and allows security forces to search houses and detain suspects.

At peace talks in Switzerland in February, Indonesia granted Aceh a greater share in its oil and gas revenues and agreed to an autonomy package for the province. But the Aceh separatists are demanding a totally independent state.

Security forces say the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) was behind the kidnapping on Sunday of nine crewmen from a vessel heading for an oil exploration field off north Aceh. The rebels deny involvement.

Sidney Jones, Jakarta director of the International Crisis Group, said proposing a civil emergency would be "disastrous".

"It's just going to mean further military operations, more casualties and greater resentment," she said.

President Megawati Sukarnoputri has told the military to take tough action against the separatists.

Rights groups have accused troops and police, as well as the rebels, of widespread rights violations in Aceh.