Helsinki – After having been at conflict for almost 30 years, the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) have made a historical step by signing a peace agreement.

Both parties still have differences of opinion in terms of human rights violation trials.

The draft peace agreement, entitled "Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement," was signed by Hamid Awaluddin, the chairman of the Indonesian government negotiation team and Malik Mahmud, Prime Minister of GAM.

Martti Ahtisaari, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Crisis Management Initiative, also signed the draft as a witness. More than 100 journalists covered the signing event at the Government Banquet Hall, Etelaesplanadi 6, Helsinki, Finland.

The draft agreement was not much different with the draft that had been unofficially distributed, including the matter of the establishment of human rights trials.

However, the Indonesian government and GAM still have different interpretations regarding this. M. Nur Djuli, one of the GAM negotiators, said that these trials would be effective retroactively.

Nur Djuli said that during the negotiations, discussions regarding these trials shall refer to the Nuremberg agreement under which human rights violations cannot be annulled by peace agreements or other agreements. "That is the principle," Nur Djuli told TEMPO reporters in Helsinki, Nezar Patria, after the signing.

Prior to the establishment of human rights trials, Nur Djuli said that foreign observers will remain in Aceh.

Sofyan Djalil, the Minister of Communication and Information and a member of the Indonesian government's negotiation team, stated a different opinion. These trials will only try human rights violations that take place following the peace agreement.

Human rights trials, Djalil said, would not handle violations that took place during the time of military operation areas or military emergencies. "We have nothing to do with this," he said.

In Jakarta, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that the Indonesian people should be proud of this peace agreement.

Yudhoyono also conveyed his gratitude to the people who made the agreement a reality, in particular Hamid Awaluddin. (Oktamandjaya/Dimas/Budi Reza-Tempo News Room)