For the first time in 25 years, an exiled leader of Aceh's separatist rebel movement has returned to the Indonesian province in a sentimental homecoming. Bachtiar Abdullah has lived in Sweden since 1980. His return to Aceh comes just three months after GAM signed a peace pact with Jakarta to end almost 30-years of insurgency.

Presenter/Interviewer: Linda LoPresti

Speakers: Bachtiar Abdullah, spokesman for the Acehnese rebel group, GAM

Abdullah: I just feel great and I just can't believe my eyes that I'm in the chair right now. Words is just is not enough to explain. It's just that the feeling is indescribable. It's between a dream and reality you know.

Lopresti: It's been such a long time. How have things changed since you left?

Abdullah: There's not very much change unfortunately, but what I'm very, very, very, very disappointed is that after the tsunami for the last year or so, nothing much has been done. For example, we have just been visiting a mass grave and I was so shocked to see that there's no sign, no remembrance of those who have died in the tsunami. And apart from that, well we've seen some houses being built by IOM, but there still is a common site, that you see people staying in tents, in camps like that you know.

Lopresti: On a happier note, Mr Abdullah, what about the peace pact which you signed with Jakarta last August? Have you seen some positive outcome on that front?

Abdullah: Oh yes, indeed. In fact it is the chief minister has been made in the last process, the second phase of the decommissioning process was far more than expected in a sense that people never expected that things have been going on so smoothly. Both parties have been committed to the peace process.

Lopresti: And both sides are observing the deal, are observing the peace pact?

Abdullah: Yes, yes we are, yeah exactly that's what I've seen and I know travelling along the streets, which I see no checkpoints or things like that as was before and people are trying to live, to come back to a normal life.

Lopresti: Mr. Abdullah, do you see yourself returning to Aceh to live?

Abdullah: Yeah, I will always want to come back, but first I would try to do the best I can first.

Lopresti: But there's no doubt that your return would certainly play an important role in the future of Aceh?

Abdullah: Yes, we are back here to try to help our fellow friends who are doing excellently in this process, that's the reason why we are back to see how things are and hopefully to be able to contribute our assistance to the team that is here already.

I'm still a foreign citizen, so I still have to sort out first the things aside before deciding for good to stay or not.