Military

DATE=1/30/05

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=ACEH PEACE TALKS (L-ONLY)

NUMBER=2-322117

BYLINE=TIM JOHNSTON

DATELINE=JAKARTA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

HEADLINE: Indonesia-Aceh Rebels Talks End a Day Early Amid Skirmishes

INTRO: Indonesian officials and Aceh rebels have ended their first talks in 20 months with an agreement to meet again soon with mediators in Finland. Optimism about ending the 28-year conflict remains, despite the absence of an agreement on a formal ceasefire in the tsunami-devastated region. Meanwhile, as Tim Johnston reports from Jakarta, clashes between the rebels and Indonesian military continue.

TEXT: Deadly skirmishes between Indonesia's military and separatist rebels in Aceh Province punctuated peace talks in Helsinki.

The military says it killed four rebels on Saturday, just as former Finnish President Martti Ahtasaari was hosting the talks between the Indonesian government and exiled leaders of Aceh's GAM rebel group.

The two days of talks ended early -- but with an agreement to meet again.

GAM representative Malik Mahmood:

/// MALIK MAHMOOD ACT ///

"We end our talk because there are some issue ... that we have to iron out again. We will arrange a next meeting in the near future."

/// END ACT ///

There had been some expectations of reaching a formal ceasefire agreement that would shore up an informal truce declared after the December 26th tsunami that devastated Aceh.

The talks in Helsinki mostly concentrated on the immediate concern of getting aid to the hundreds of thousands of Acehnese displaced by the tsunami. Some 230-thousand people have been killed in the province.

Neither side was willing to discuss the talks in detail, but Indonesia's minister of communications, Sofyan Djalil, who attended the meetings, says this first contact in 20 months is helpful.

/// DJALIL ACT ///

".The government of Indonesia extends our willingness to solve the problem in Aceh.. But since we don't talk to each other, you know, for quite some time, . I think this meeting is profitable. At least we talk. we see each other. and hear each other and this in terms of confidence building is quite good, very good."

/// END ACT ///

Since taking office in September, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has shown a willingness to consider new, non-military, solutions. Earlier this month he formally offered a special autonomy deal to the rebels.

Mr. Ahtasaari says that offer is the basis of negotiations at the moment.

GAM has long rejected anything but outright independence.

The war in Aceh is one of Asia's longest-running conflicts. Some 13-thousand people are estimated to have died since GAM took up arms in 1976 in the resource-rich province. (SIGNED)

NEB/HK/TJ/MQM/JJ/KL