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Aceh rebels drop key demand
Indonesian authorities reacted with cautious optimism on Wednesday to the news that rebels have dropped their previous insistence on full independence for the separatist province during peace talks in Finland.
Indonesian authorities reacted with cautious optimism on Wednesday to the news that rebels have dropped their previous insistence on full independence for the separatist province during peace talks in Finland.
“If they ease their stand ... that is a good indication for immediately resolving the Aceh conflict,” said general Endriartono Sutarto. “If there is any dissatisfaction with government policies, it is better to solve it through peaceful ways.”
Tuesday’s concession by the Free Aceh Movement, or GAM, is considered a key step forward for the talks and could pave the way for more negotiations. But it doesn’t mean an immediate end to the fighting that has plagued the natural gas-rich province since 1976 and left tens of thousands of people dead in army offensives aimed at crushing the insurrection.
In the tsunami-battered city of Banda Aceh, the reaction to the news was muted, with many saying they have heard such optimism before, only to see the two sides resume their conflict.
