Finland to Host the 5th Meeting for Indonesia and Aceh Rebels

The fifth meeting between Indonesian government negotiators and GAM – the separatist Free Aceh Movement – will be held in Helsinki, Finland, on July 12, 2005. The delegates from Indonesia and GAM will discuss on the memorandum of understanding (MOU) to finalize the fourth round of peace talks that started late January.
     Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on July 6th that if the meeting reached an agreement, the two parties would hold a formal meeting to follow up on the results.
     The two sides agreed to bring the settlement of the conflict to the negotiation table after the Aceh’s coastal areas were devastated by the tsunami last year.
     The GAM has waged a guerrilla war since 1976, accusing Jakarta of exploiting the impoverished province’s rich resources. More than 12,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since then.

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