Prospects for peace in Indonesia's war-torn and tsunami-hit Aceh province were lifted by an offer of talks from separatist rebels, but tensions continued to overshadow efforts to aid disaster victims.
The rebels' prime minister-in-exile Malik Mahmud said his men were willing to sit down for discussions with Jakarta to ease fears which have prompted the Indonesian government to lock down Aceh, placing restrictions on foreigners.
The offer was welcomed by government officials, even as the country's military dispatched thousands of extra troops to the province, where before the disaster they were engaged in a major campaign to crush the rebels.
But doubts remained over whether discussions could achieve a credible peace on the ground in the province, where the rebels are unlikely to forgo their deep distrust of a powerful and almost autonomous military.
Mahmud's statement came a day after Indonesian authorities accused the rebels of attacking officials and threatening efforts to aid the survivors of the magnitude-9.0 earthquake and tsunami which killed 110,229 Indonesians.
He said the rebels were committed to a unilateral ceasefire declared immediately after the December 26 disaster. "We are prepared to meet with [Indonesia] to agree the optimum modalities to ensure the success of the ceasefire and thereby minimize the suffering of the Acehnese people," Mahmud said in the statement.
Vice President Yusuf Kalla said he applauded the statement from the rebels, known by their Indonesian acronym GAM, and indicated the government would offer a positive response.
"What is important is that there is a dignified settlement and that there is no longer any enmity between the GAM and us in Aceh, meaning that we will both manage peace and implement the rehabilitation in Aceh," he said.
Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda, speaking in Germany, said Indonesia was seeking a long-term political settlement with the rebels. "We are working with rebel groups on the possibility of reconciliation," he said.
There were further signs earlier this week that Indonesia could be readying for an internationally-brokered accord when President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held talks with several foreign envoys to brief them on Aceh.
Indonesia and the rebels struck a short-lived peace deal more than two years ago, but Jakarta launched a military campaign after it collapsed in May 2003. For the 18 months before the disaster, Aceh has been closed off to foreigners.
Although the recent catastrophe may help galvanise the peace process at the diplomatic level, analysts warn that talks may meet resistance on the ground.
"The military is dead set against the idea, convinced that talking is a sign of weakness, that it gives GAM legitimacy that it does not deserve and that it would undo all its efforts to crush the insurgency by force," Sidney Jones of the International Crisis Group said in a recent commentary.
Earlier this week, the military said it was imposing tough new restrictions on overseas aid workers in Aceh, requiring them to register with authorities and remain in major towns unless accompanied by armed patrols. It said the restrictions would remain in place until the rebels, who have been fighting for independence since 1976, were no longer a threat.
On Thursday it announced it was sending thousands of extra troops into Aceh, ostensibly to help with the humanitarian effort. This would take personnel numbers beyond 50,000 in a force that is still actively engaging the rebels.
Tensions between the military and the rebels have cast a shadow over the relief effort in Indonesia, with some aid groups concerned that the new regulations could delay supply deliveries already hit by logistical glitches.
More help continued to pour into the stricken region with French frigate Jeanne d'Arc, carrying 11 helicopters, steaming into position off the coast of Aceh, while the US military sent long-range jets equipped with heat sensors to track down stranded survivors.
Meanwhile, the grim task of clearing up the carnage from the disaster continued with thousands of bodies still being pulled from the rubble in the hard-hit city of Banda Aceh, according to local officials.
Indonesia's official death toll from the earthquake and tsunami rose by 3,700 on Thursday to 110,229, the social affairs ministry said. "As of 4pm today, a total of 110,229 people have died from the tsunami," said Erny, an official with the ministry's national disaster coordination centre. Some 12,132 people were still listed as missing in Aceh province while another 925 were in hospital, she said.
Indonesia also said Thursday it welcomed a debt freeze offer by the Paris Club of creditor nations, but would carefully study the conditions of the deal before accepting.