Govt, Aceh rebels agree to keep on talking peace
Govt, Aceh rebels agree to keep on talking peace
Nina Larson, Agence France-Presse, Helsinki
The Indonesian government and Aceh separatists on Saturday
agreed to hold a fourth round of peace talks next month, saying
the third round ended on a "constructive note", the Finnish hosts
said.
The talks, which were wrapped up a day ahead of schedule, were
aimed at ending a drawn-out conflict that has left more than
12,000 people dead.
"The negotiations have been held in a positive and
constructive atmosphere," said former Finnish president Martti
Ahtisaari, the mediator in the talks.
The new round of talks will take place from May 26 to May 31,
he said.
The two sides have agreed to continue seeking "a permanent and
comprehensive solution with dignity for all" to the conflict,
Ahtisaari said.
They are willing to define a local administrative framework
and explore the possibility of reform involving local elections.
They would also continue to talk about an amnesty for rebels,
and combat corruption as well as review the allocation of revenue
between the central government and Aceh.
Both sides also welcomed a future role for regional
organizations in monitoring commitments made by both sides and
promised to "do their utmost to restrain their security forces in
the field during the negotiating process".
The rebels of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) launched their
campaign for independence in 1976, accusing the central
government of plundering the region's resources.
When government and GAM delegations met for an initial round
of Helsinki talks in January it was the first time they had stood
face-to-face since May 2003, when the government declared martial
law and launched a major military offensive in the province.
The renewed efforts to reach a peaceful solution were prompted
by a need for international aid to reach the province worst hit
by the Dec. 26 tsunamis. More than 126,000 people died in Aceh
alone.
During the third round of Helsinki talks, which began on
Tuesday, the two delegations discussed a number of issues
including how to implement self-governance in Aceh, the
reintegration of GAM into civil society and their possible
political participation, economic issues, security and
international monitoring of the situation in the region.
The government on Friday indicated that it had no problem with
at least some of GAM's suggestions, including issues related to
management of the region's rich natural resources.
The cooperative mood in Helsinki has been clouded by continued
fighting on the ground in Aceh and by the Indonesian Military's
decision on Thursday to send another 3,000 troops into the
province.
On Saturday, the military, which has admitted to killing more
than 260 rebels since the tsunami, said it had seized a large
cache of ammunition and shot dead a rebel in Aceh Besar district.
While experts expressed optimism this week that the talks
appeared to be heading in the right direction, they insisted that
the dialog needs to be extended beyond the negotiating table in
Helsinki.