---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- Indonesia, Free Aceh try to talk peace in Bangkok By Chris McCall JAKARTA, July 23 (Reuters) - Indonesia and the rebel Free Aceh movement are scheduled to meet in Thailand on Saturday in an effort to initiate a dialogue that will bring peace to the troubled territory, officials from both sides said. Teams from both sides have been dispatched to Bangkok to attend a two-day conference behind closed doors. Neither exiled rebel leader Hasan Tiro or the troubled region's governor Syamsuddin Mahmud will attend. The meeting comes amid an upsurge of violence in Aceh, on the northern tip of Sumatra, between rebels and Indonesian security forces. More than 100 people have been killed in clashes in the past three months. Free Aceh official Mozakkir Abdul Hamid told Reuters by telephone from Sweden, where Tiro lives, that the rebel leader would send several senior aides to the meeting. He also said there was a possibility Tiro would meet government representatives if they travel to Sweden as planned. ``It is possible. We are going to find out what they are coming for and who exactly is coming here. But this problem cannot be solved by Free Aceh and the Aceh government alone,'' said Hamid. Among the members of the rebel team travelling to Bangkok were Bakhtiar Abdullah, who acts as Tiro's spokesman, and Yusra Habib Abdulgani, who represented the rebel movement in Malaysia until forced to leave last year. The rebels' 'Minister of Health' Zaini Abdullah will give a speech. Tengku Pribadi, a spokesman for the Aceh governor's office, said a six-person government team would travel to Bangkok and then on to Sweden. ``In order to foster reconciliation in Aceh, people of Aceh and their opinion leaders agreed to have a team known as fraternity team. They will meet the rebels in a few countries, including Sweden. The Bangkok meeting is part of their agenda.'' Team members would also meet rebel fighters in Aceh itself and liaise with the central authorities in Jakarta, he added. The meeting at the Bangkok Y.M.C.A. is being organised by Asia Forum in conjunction with the International Forum for Aceh, a rights group specialising in the troubled region. ``The whole of the people of Aceh are trying to struggle to find a solution,'' said Jafar Siddiq Hamzah, chairman of the International Forum for Aceh. Another forum official said: ``We want to provide a place where both parties as Acehnese can meet and talk in peace. Thailand is open to peaceful talks. We have also invited the representatives of the Thai government and representatives of the Indonesian embassy.'' U.N. officials and representatives of human rights groups are also expected to attend, organisers said. Around 2,000 people died during a crackdown on the rebels which officially ended last August. Clashes have continued, however, and parts of the troubled region were hit by a mass poll boycott during Indonesia's June 7 parliamentary poll. There is widespread resentment that Aceh's mineral riches are siphoned off by Jakarta. There have also been increasing demands for a referendum on its future status. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 24 Jul 1999 jam 11:11:36 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
