Long-running rebellions cast a shadow on Sunday over relief efforts in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Indonesia’s military beefed up security in Aceh, the region worst hit by the December 26 earthquake and tsunami, after gunfire erupted in the provincial capital Banda Aceh early in the day.There were no casualties, but one policeman said it could have been related to a long-running insurgency in Aceh. Indonesia has warned relief agencies that there were reports that camps were being infiltrated by rebels.In Sri Lanka, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the government should use the world’s support to heal the country’s ethnic divisions and end a civil war with Tamil rebels. Annan said he hoped to return to accelerate the government’s stalled peace process with the LTTE.The government blocked Annan from visiting tsunami-hit areas in the rebel-held north and east of the island on Saturday, citing security concerns.‘‘The world wants to help Sri Lanka in the task to recover and rebuild,’’ he said on Sunday. ‘‘I hope that Sri Lanka would use the support and the goodwill, not only to recover from this tragedy, but also as an opportunity to unite in the work for peace.’’Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga said Colombo was reaching out to all parts of the island.‘‘We have been sending — the government and international agencies through the government — much relief aid, food and other things to the affected areas, including the north where Tamil Tigers are situated. They have expressed satisfaction,’’ she told BBC television.The shots in Banda Aceh raised concerns for the safety of hundreds of Western aid personnel pouring into Aceh province, where almost all Indonesia’s 1,04,000 deaths occurred.One policeman blamed rebels waging a separatist campaign in Aceh, but another said a disturbed government soldier fired.Rich nations pledged on Friday to suspend debt repayments by tsunami-hit nations, which may free resources for rebuilding. World Bank president James Wolfensohn, visiting Sri Lanka, said the Bank would also consider debt relief and could hand out up to $1.5 billion in aid.But he cautioned he was concerned about how funds were spent.President George W. Bush urged Americans to keep opening their wallets for South Asia tsunami victims. He also detailed the ways in which the US is trying to help victims.Forty nations lost nationals in the catastrophe in addition to the countries swamped by the tsunami. Around 7,500 foreign tourists are dead or unaccounted for, most of them\ in Thailand.In one of the worst-hit resorts, Khao Lak, Thai police said they hoped they had removed all bodies of tourists from main hotels, but corpses were still being recovered in outlying areas.‘‘The area inside the hotel is clear of bodies. Some places still smell, but that has turned out to be dead fish,’’ police Lieutenant Sommart Kliangsin said at the Sofitel beachside resort, cordoned off to prevent looting.
