Helsinki – The Indonesian government and Acehnese rebels have reached a groundbreaking agreement to end 30 years of fighting in Aceh province and a memorandum of understanding will be formally signed next month.

Achmad Sukarsono, Banda Aceh – People in Aceh reacted cautiously on Monday to a deal aimed at ending 30 years of civil war in the Indonesian province devastated by the Dec. 26 tsunami.

Unlike an agreement reached in late 2002 that had Acehnese crowding newspaper stalls for the details, the new deal failed to distract people from going about business as usual.

Jakarta – Indonesian Military chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto has said the government would send military troops to Aceh if the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) broke its commitment to hand in their weapons as part of a peace accord agreed in Helsinki on Sunday.

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The Government of Indonesia (GoI) and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) confirm their commitment to a peaceful, comprehensive and sustainable solution to the conflict in Aceh with dignity for all.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono rejected a key political demand by rebels in the restive province of Aceh, denting their claim that a peace deal to end the 30-year conflict was at hand.

Sunariah, Jakarta - The TNI (armed forces) is ready to withdraw its troops from Aceh if it is part of an agreement reached in Helsinki between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Dimas Adityo, Jakarta – Within three months after a peace deal is agreed to between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), the separatist group's arms will be surrendered and destroyed. In concert with this said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, non-organic TNI (armed forces) troops will be withdrawn from Aceh in stages.

Indonesia's government and Aceh rebels have reached a peace deal to end a 29-year insurgency in the tsunami-devastated province, a top Indonesian official said Sunday.

Helsinki – Aceh separatists on Friday called for the Establishment of an international tribunal to try Indonesian troops accused of Committing war crimes in the province.

Bakhtiar Abdullah, spokesman for the Free Aceh Movement, said Government forces had committed numerous war crimes but that very few of these had been prosecuted.

Peace talks between Indonesian officials and Aceh separatists have run into a "disastrous" hurdle in discussions of political participation, the rebels said, claiming Jakarta had "sabotaged" the process.

"It's going diasastrously," Free Aceh Movement (GAM) political advisor Damien Kingsbury told AFP before a fourth day of talks got under way.

The United Nations said on Friday international aid was flowing smoothly to tsunami-hit areas of Aceh, denying reports of large numbers of containers languishing on Indonesian wharfs.

Jakarta – Indonesian Military (TNI) information center head Major General Kohirin Suganda Saputra said that the TNI welcomed the statement made by high-rank officers of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) during the fifth-round talks in Helsinki, Finland.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The ongoing peace talks between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Finland may end in deadlock with Jakarta refusing the rebels' demand for the establishment of local political parties and self government.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – The Free Aceh Movement's (GAM) wish to form local political parties in Aceh has been in vain. The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has rejected the proposal because it violates the law on political parties.

James Balowski, Jakarta – Hundreds of Acehnese residing in the Indonesian capital Jakarta demonstrated on July 4 in support of the current peace negotiations being held in Helsinki, Finland, between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Separatists in Indonesia's troubled Aceh province have reiterated their demand for self-government to end a decades-long war, saying democratic local elections are a basic right.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – The government will not grant amnesty to members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) who have been involved in criminal activities. Amnesty will be granted in the context of it being given to those who have been involved in the conflict in Aceh.

AK-1, Jakarta – The meeting between representatives of Acehnese civil society and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Stockholm on July 9-19 has resulted in a number of recommendations on Aceh's future.

AK-38, Jakarta – The Aceh Working Group (AWG) says there have been systematic efforts to ensure that the peace negotiations with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) fail. This effort has being launched by a small section of People Representative Assembly and TNI (armed forces) military officers.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Leaders of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) have agreed to a demand by the Indonesian government that the tsunami-hit province should remain a part of Indonesia, but they spelled out conditions that the Acehnese must be allowed to govern the territory under a system of self-government.

Banda Aceh – Separatist rebels in tsumami-ravaged Aceh province said Tuesday they are prepared to lay down their weapons if a peace agreement is reached this week in Finland.

"We will follow any order that comes from our leaders," Teungku Muharram, a rebel field commander for the Free Aceh Movement, told The Associated Press from his jungle hideout.

Anton Aliabbas, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has denied that it supports the dialogue between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Helsinki. The PDI-P is even calling for the official government representative to take responsibility for the fifth round of the informal negotiations going ahead.

The exiled leadership of the Aceh separatist movement has agreed to a demand by Jakarta that the tsunami-hit province should remain a part of Indonesia, the rebels said in a statement.

AK-17, Banda Aceh – The Aceh Coalition of Human Rights Non-Government Organisations (Koalisi NGO HAM Aceh) believes that the shooting of foreign volunteers in Aceh is an attempt by certain parties to isolate Aceh from the international community. This is the reason that the coalition is asking the government to form an independent team to investigate the incident.

Jakarta – The government said on Friday that the disarmament of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam would be the final crucial issue to be discussed during the upcoming peace talks aimed at ending the decades-long conflict in the tsunami-devastated province.

The fifth round of peace talks is slated to kick off on Tuesday in Finland.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Hopes of peace in Aceh have received a boost after leaders of 10 major political parties expressed their cautious support for the government's plan to allow former Free Aceh Movement (GAM) members to contest elections in the province later this year.

Wilhendra Akmam, Jakarta – Ten political parties have agreed to support the nomination of former Free Aceh Movement (GAM) members in regional elections in Aceh in 2005-06. This is to be done taking note that GAM is prepared to conclude the negotiations with the Indonesian government in a peaceful manner.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – The government may have to withdraw non-organic troops from Aceh as part of an agreement coming out of the negotiations between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Helsinki. If this happens, the government must reinforce organic troops in Aceh.

Jakarta – The last of a series of informal negotiations between the Indonesian government and members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) will be held on July 11-18 with a focus on drafting an agreement toward resolving the Aceh conflict peacefully and permanently.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – The TNI (armed forces) fully supports the government's policy of seeking a resolution to the Aceh question which is peaceful, dignified and comprehensive. With regard to the withdrawal of troops, the TNI will leave it in the government's hands.

Stockholm – Sweden will pay 10,000 kronor (1,050 euros, 1,250 dollars) in compensation to one of the exiled leaders of Indonesia's separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) for remanding him in custody last year, his lawyer said Monday.

AK-38, Jakarta – Hundreds of Acehnese residing in Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi, who support of the Helsinki peace negotiations between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement, demonstrated at the United Nations in Central Jakarta demanding that the UN support a peaceful resolution to the Aceh conflict.

AK-38, Jakarta – On Monday July 4, hundreds of Acehnese from Greater Jakarta held a demonstration at the United Nations offices, the US Embassy, the offices of the Minister for Politics, Security and Legal Affairs and the State Palace.

Tony Hotland and Rendi Witular, Jakarta – Despite criticizing the government for irregularities in its new budget proposal for military operations in Aceh, the House of Representatives approved new funds to support some 35,000 soldiers on duty in the province.

Large scale corruption has marred tsunami reconstruction in Aceh province, with more than US$100 million earmaarked for disaster relief unaccounted for, a legislator and an aid worker were quoted as saying Friday.

Alisa P, Jakarta – The operation to restore security in Aceh is continuing. In order to support the operation the Defense Department has submitted a budget request for 530.27 billion rupiah. In the letter, the Minister of Defense hopes that it will be release by the end of June at the latest.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – More than a dozen men accused of placing Rp1,000 ($0.10) bets in an illegal lottery were flogged in public last week in tsunami-struck Aceh for violating Islamic (Sharia) law, marking the first public canning since the staunchly Muslim province adopted such laws in 2003.

Jakarta – Indonesian lawmakers on Thursday slammed a trip to Aceh province by a team of E.U. and Asean monitors ahead of a possible peace deal there, indicating that any agreement could face resistance from nationalists within the political and military elite.

Rilis, Jakarta – Twenty five activist organisations have issued a statement supporting peace negotiations between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). The statement which was contained in letter addressed to the president of the Republic of Indonesia and the GAM leadership in exile was dated June 24.

Sutta Dharmasaputra/Wisnu Dewabrata, Jakarta – The operation to restore security in Aceh continues. In order to support the operation, the Ministry of Defense has submitted a request for a budget of 530.27 billion rupiah.

An EU-led team has arrived in Indonesia's tsunami-hit Aceh to prepare for the monitoring of a likely peace deal between Jakarta and separatist rebels, officials said.

The 12-man European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations team arrived in the provincial capital Banda Aceh, Minister of Communication and Information, Sofyan Jalil said.

Jakarta – The categorisation of areas of Aceh into three levels of security is totally counterproductive in terms of the peace negotiations in Helsinki which are being conducted between the government and representatives of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and which will entering their fifth round in July.

Jakarta – Despite growing calls from legislators not to internationalize the conflict in Aceh, the government has said it will go ahead with talks with Aceh rebels in Finland.

The recent arrival of international observers in Aceh only adds insult to injury.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – Six months after the tsunami swept the region, many frustrated survivors of the disaster are still living in tents and struggling to survive, with the reconstruction efforts to date proceeding at a snail's pace.

Jakarta – The commander of Aceh's separatist rebels on Monday ordered his fighters to avoid clashes with Indonesian troops during an upcoming European Union fact-finding mission, warning that the military might use the occasion to try to sabotage the peace process.

The military denied that it was trying to undermine efforts to bring peace to the tsunami-hit region.

Nani Afrida, Bireun – Various elements of society in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam view the implementation of Sharia in the province as discriminatory and as not touching on core issues.

"If the government is serious, it should implement local laws in regard to serious violations such as theft and corruption," said legal practitioner Rufriadi on Saturday.

Jakarta – Iskandar Muda Regional Military Commander, Major-General Sapiudin Yusuf, believes the shooting of Hong Kong foreign volunteer Eva Yee Wayeung was an attempt by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to demonstrate that their forces still have a presence.

Jakarta – The police urged foreign aid workers in Aceh to secure a police escort when traveling in areas where separatist rebels are known to operate.

"It is important that foreigners ask for a security escort," National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar explained.

Kathy Marks, Gle Bruk, Aceh – The Acehnese fishermen had just returned with their catch and were on their way back to the refugee camp. As they passed a security post, soldiers barred their way and ordered them to lie face down on the ground. The men were then told to crawl through the dust. Their ordeal ended with a lecture on the virtues of the Indonesian unitary state.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Although Aceh has only just begun to implement public floggings the chairperson of the Nahdhatul Ulama's (NU) Executive Board (PBNU), Hasyim Muzadi, believes that the punishment will actually strengthen the Free Aceh Movement's (GAM) position.