Aceh peace deal 'will help reconstruction'

Aceh peace deal 'will help reconstruction'

INDONESIA: Lasting peace between separatist rebels and Indonesian troops in Aceh is essential to reconstruction efforts in the region worst affected by the Asian tsunami, a European Parliament member said on Tuesday after touring the province.

Next month both sides are scheduled to sign a peace deal in Finland to formally end the 29-year-old war in the oil and gas- rich province that has killed 15,000 people.

Moves to negotiate the truce quickened after the Dec. 26 tsunami, which killed more than 130,000 people in Aceh and destroyed thousands of coastal villages.

"We believe that moving forward with the peace process is also essential for the reconstruction process," said European Parliament member Anna Maria Gomez.

The European Union has been invited to monitor the peace accord.

Gomez, a socialist from Portugal, made the remarks in Jakarta after touring Aceh with four colleagues.

After the tsunami, foreign aid workers poured into the formerly closed province, leading to international pressure -- particularly from the United States and the EU -- on Jakarta to halt the violence. -- AP