Aceh peace talks clouded by situation on the ground

Aceh peace talks clouded by situation on the ground

Agencies Helsinki/Jakarta

As a fourth day of Aceh peace talks got under way in Helsinki on Friday, Aceh rebels called the negotiations "constructive" but said they were unhappy about Indonesian troops continuing to pour into the region.

"Yesterday (Thursday) we had direct talks with the Indonesian delegation that were very constructive... We had an open, friendly discussion and I think we can come to some understanding," said the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)'s Stockholm- based spokesman, Bakhtiar Abdullah.

"There is a mutual understanding of what is on the table (but) a final agreement has yet to be reached," he told AFP before the fourth day of talks began.

But Abdullah said the GAM delegation was troubled by the Indonesian Military (TNI)'s decision on Thursday to send another 3,000 troops into the province.

"This will create more tension for the victims of the tsunami," which killed more than 126,000 people in Aceh last December, Abdullah said.

"The problem is that when the troops come they never leave," he added.

During the first day of talks on Tuesday, GAM asked Jakarta to call a cease-fire, but Indonesian officials both at home and in Helsinki merely shrugged off the suggestion.

"Our view is that the termination of the conflict should really be permanent. A cease-fire is not permanent," chief security minister Widodo Adisucipto said in Jakarta.

The Indonesian delegation said on Friday GAM's proposal for self-government was reasonable, and was optimistic an agreement could be reached on the enforcement of a future peace deal.

"Some of the proposals are reasonable, some need to be discussed and some we might ... have to reject. Overall it's great," Minister of Communications and Information Sofyan Djalil told Reuters.

"The only problem is what they demand may not all be fulfilled by the government, and I think they understand it," he added.

A smiling Sofyan gave reporters the thumbs up when leaving for the fourth day of peace talks aiming to end the near-three decade conflict, saying: "We are going to solve this problem."

In Jakarta, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono insisted on Friday that the government would never allow Aceh to separate from the rest of Indonesia, but said a government plan to give the province a greater say in running its affairs must be implemented.

"The unitary state of the Indonesian republic must be maintained and the Red and White flag must fly (in Aceh)," he said in a speech to government security advisers.

Susilo, a retired Army general, said the government's policy of "special autonomy" for Aceh must be enforced. Rebel negotiators have said they prefer the term "self-government" to "special autonomy".

While the details of both plans are not yet clear, Susilo's use of the term indicates the government is unwilling to meet the rebels' request, and the issue could be a sticking point in the talks.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla said talks were concentrating on the two terms, which he claimed meant "essentially the same thing, the only difference being the words". Other areas of discussion were future economic arrangements between Jakarta and Aceh, he told reporters.

In January, the two sides met face-to-face for the first time since the peace process collapsed in 2003, when the TNI launched a major offensive against insurgents that has since killed about 3,000 people

A second round of talks was held in late February. Each have been held in Helsinki.