FINLAND: FOURTH ROUND OF TALKS BETWEEN ACEH SEPERATISTS AND INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT CONTINUES IN HELSINKI

Record ID: 590666

  • Title: FINLAND: FOURTH ROUND OF TALKS BETWEEN ACEH SEPERATISTS AND INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT CONTINUES IN HELSINKI
  • Date: 27th May 2005
  • Summary: (BN16) HELSINKI, FINLAND (MAY 27, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. EAST TIMOR PRIME MINISTER MARI ALKATIRI AND STAFF FROM FINISH FOREIGN MINISTRY WALKING IN PARK (2 SHOTS) 0.15 2. SOUNDBITE: (English) EAST TIMOR PRIME MINISTER MARI ALKATIRI " I hope they will progress well, it seems to me that there is goodwill from both sides to come to a solution.The conflict
  • Embargoed: 11th June 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: HELSINKI, FINLAND
  • Country: Finland
  • Reuters ID: LVA5ASO8PJKVDRHJ9J3XTFC26RJP
  • Story Text: Talks continue between Indonesia and Aceh
    seperatists in Finland.


    Indonesia and Aceh separatists cleared crucial
    political obstacles on Friday (may 27) in a big step
    towards a deal to end one of Asia's longest running armed
    struggles, a rebel official said.

    The official declined to give details of progress on
    thorny political issues on the second day of talks in
    Finland to end the 30-year armed struggle in which 12,000
    people have died. "We have made some substantial
    progress", Bakhtiar Abdullah, spokesman for the rebel Free
    Aceh Movement (GAM), told Reuters.

    Earlier, a source familiar with the negotiations said a
    broad deal had been reached on political issues such as how
    parties based only in part of Indonesia could contest
    national elections. Aceh is on the northern tip of Sumatra
    island.

    The government is under pressure from the
    legislature, where nationalism runs deep, to deliver an
    acceptable deal soon. Officials from the Indonesian
    delegation could not be reached for comment.

    Peace talks were revived under Finnish mediation in
    January after a huge earthquake and tsunami on Dec. 26
    killed up to 160,000 people in Aceh, on the northern tip of
    Sumatra island.

    Speaking earlier the Prime Minister of east Timor Mari
    Alkatiri said he was optimistic the talks would bring
    results.

    "It seems to me that there is goodwill from both sides
    to come to a solution.The conflict has been going on for
    years and years, it's time to bring peace to the people of
    Aceh and bring an end to this conflict of Indonesia",
    Alkatiri told Reuters.

    In the last meeting, GAM submitted a document on
    security issues, including a demand for a ceasefire and
    withdrawal of the Indonesian army from the oil-rich
    province. Jakarta has refused to withdraw Indonesia's
    30,000-40,000 troops.

    Despite assurances of restraint by both sides, fighting
    has continued. On Thursday, police said four people were
    killed in the latest clash between security forces and
    rebels in the volatile, mostly Muslim province.



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