24 February 2005
INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT RECONSIDERS TERMINOLOGY AT ACEH TALKS
Helsinki, Indonesia's government and Aceh separatists are positive about a second day of peace talks in Helsinki on Jakarta's offer of a special autonomy for the province.
The aceh movement's spokesman, Bachtiar Abdullah, says he is optimistic and the negotiations are moving in the right direction.
Indonesia's communications minister and delegate, Sofyan Djalil, says there are difficulties, but at least the two sides are sitting together and listening to each other.
Former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, who presided over talks between the Indonesian government and Aceh rebels said the use of u.n. peacekeepers in the province has been ruled out.
Though both sides recognized the need for outside forces to monitor any agreement, there's going to be no U.N. participation in this, he said.
Indonesia's government did not consider the issue to be an international question, he said, adding that regional forces could beused.
There has been a significant breakthrough in negotiations between the Indonesian government and the separatist free aceh movement, or gam. A second round of talks in Helsinki is expected to conclude soon towards deciding how much control of the tsunami-devastated province should go to the rebels. The conflict in the resource-rich province has cost more than 12,000 lives. (qna) e timor 1999 rights violations now int'l community's concern, says annan e timor 1999 rights violations now int'l community's concern, says Annan (Antara)
Embassy of the Republic Indonesia in Canberra