Aceh peace talks to go ahead in Switzerland

Aceh peace talks to go ahead in Switzerland

Agence France-Presse, Geneva

Peace talks between the Indonesian government and separatist rebels from Aceh province will go ahead this weekend in Switzerland despite ongoing violence, the organizers confirmed on Friday.

The Geneva-based Henry Dunant Center for Humanitarian Dialogue said the meeting between government officials and leaders of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) who are exiled in Sweden would take place at an undisclosed location on Saturday and Sunday.

"Absolutely, they're still on," Andy Andrea, spokesman for the Henry Dunant Centre said, but he declined to comment further on the meeting.

Andrea had said earlier that the Centre, which is acting as a mediator in the long-running attempts to achieve peace in Aceh, was encouraged by the willingness of the Indonesian government and GAM to meet.

Sources close to the talks said the meeting was largely aimed at restoring confidence between the two sides and was unlikely to address the issue of a ceasefire.

Ceasefires agreed in previous rounds of talks in Geneva have broken down.

At least two suspected rebels were killed in a clash with Indonesian soldiers in Aceh, according to the army and local residents on Friday.

Indonesia said the GAM delegation will be headed by Malik Mahmud, whom GAM describes as its "prime minister." Wiryono Sastrowardoyo, a former ambassador to Australia, will lead the government team.

The first meeting for seven months comes amid increasing violence in staunchly Muslim Aceh province on the northern tip of Sumatra island, where GAM has waged a guerrilla war for a separate Islamic state since 1976.

About 200 people have already been killed in Aceh this year. Last year alone, 1,700 people were killed.

Jakarta last year granted Aceh greater self-rule and a larger share of oil and gas revenues. It also allowed the province to implement Islamic law but ruled out independence.