The Indonesian government will consider anything except independence for tsunami-hit Aceh province as it tries to broker a peace with separatist rebels, a senior minister says.

"We will entertain any demand short of independence," Social Welfare Minister Alwi Shihab, who is overseeing relief operations in Aceh, told reporters in the devastated capital of Banda Aceh.

Shihab also indicated that the government may be willing to accept international help in negotiating an end to the conflict, which it has long regarded as a strictly internal issue.

"This is the time for Indonesia and the global community to do its utmost efforts to get back Aceh into a peaceful period," he said, without elaborating.

Shihab's comments are the latest effort in the government's peace offensive for Aceh that was launched immediately after the December 26 earthquake and tsunami disaster, which claimed more than 166,000 lives in the province.

Foreign Minister Hasan Wirayuda said on Wednesday the government was hoping to begin peace talks with the rebels by the end of January, although he did not say how much Jakarta was willing to compromise.

"Behind-the-scenes moves are ongoing toward reconciliation," Wirayuda said. "It is our hope ... that there will be a meeting by the end of this month." If the two sides meet, it will be the first time since a truce collapsed in May 2003, which led to martial law and a brutal military crackdown.

At peace talks between Jakarta and exiled rebel leaders in December 2002 in Geneva, the two sides agreed to end hostilities as a starting point to an all-inclusive dialogue in Aceh. But the pact soon ran into trouble, with each side accusing the other of bad faith. The agreement finally collapsed in May the following year despite last-ditch talks in Tokyo.

The military says more than 2,300 rebels have been killed in the ensuing crackdown. Rights groups say many of the victims were civilians, a charge the government denies. Thousands more people have been killed since the Free Aceh Movement began its struggle for independence in 1976.

Shihab repeated on Saturday Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's assertion that finding a peaceful solution to the conflict hinged on the rebels putting down their weapons. "From the first day of the disaster, the president has appealed on those who carry arms to lay down their arms and reconcile. The president is insistent and consistent in this conviction," he said.

Shihab said he had no information on army chief General Ryamizard Ryacudu's comments on Thursday that the military had killed 120 rebels over the past two weeks and that his troops would continue fighting insurgents.

Ryacudu's comments highlighted the perceived conflicting positions of the government's peace statements and the continued aggressive actions of the military in Aceh.

But Shihab sought to downplay the differences. "The military is now in a defensive mood because the humanitarian mission is more important than anything else," he said.