Aceh rebels hope Helsinki talks will lead to cease fire
Preparations for discussions being made in Stockholm suburb
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Leaders of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) gather in a small apartment in the Alby suburb of the Swedish capital Stockholm to prepare for upcoming discussions in Helsinki with representatives of the Indonesian government.
"Above all, we are hoping for a cease fire", says Malik Mahmud, "prime minister" of GAM's "government in exile".
It was announced during the weekend that talks between the Indonesian government and GAM would be held in Helsinki with the mediation of former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari.
Mahmud is cautious in his hopes. "There is no agenda for the discussions. We believe that it will be the establishment of contact between GAM and high-ranking figures in the Indonesian government."
Previous talks between GAM and the Indonesians concluded without result nearly two years ago. One of the bones of contention was GAM's calls for independence for the region. After the talks failed, the Indonesian government declared a state of war in Aceh, and launched extensive attacks.
Bakhtiar Abdullah, the spokesman of the leadership-in-exile, said that the movement wants to put the independence issue to a referendum. "We promise to respect the outcome", he added.
GAM calculates that 90% of the people of Aceh support independence. Western sources put the figure at 60-80%.
Mahmud feels that it is very important to discuss the current aid operations in Aceh, which was hit badly by the recent tsunami. Most of the estimated 170,000 Indonesian victims of the disaster were in Aceh.
Mahmud believes that the tsunami helped bring the Indonesian government to the negotiating table. The disaster opened Aceh to international aid efforts, and the interest of the world focused on the province.
GAM was founded in 1976, and the armed independence struggle also began in that year, when Hasan di Tiro, a descendant of the sultans of Aceh, returned to the province from the United States. A few years later GAM sent part of its leadership abroad.
Hasan di Tiro ended up in Sweden in the early 1980s, and he was followed by a few other leaders.
Di Tiro is now over 80 years old, and weakened by illness. Currently Mahmud and the movement's "foreign minister" Zani Abdullah are the leaders of the separatist movement.
The two were arrested by Swedish police last summer, suspected of planning kidnappings and arson attacks in Aceh.
Swedish prosecutors would have wanted to detain the two, but a Swedish court did not feel that the evidence, provided by Indonesia, was sufficient. The investigation is still continuing.
"Above all, we are hoping for a cease fire", says Malik Mahmud, "prime minister" of GAM's "government in exile".
It was announced during the weekend that talks between the Indonesian government and GAM would be held in Helsinki with the mediation of former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari.
Mahmud is cautious in his hopes. "There is no agenda for the discussions. We believe that it will be the establishment of contact between GAM and high-ranking figures in the Indonesian government."
Previous talks between GAM and the Indonesians concluded without result nearly two years ago. One of the bones of contention was GAM's calls for independence for the region. After the talks failed, the Indonesian government declared a state of war in Aceh, and launched extensive attacks.
Bakhtiar Abdullah, the spokesman of the leadership-in-exile, said that the movement wants to put the independence issue to a referendum. "We promise to respect the outcome", he added.
GAM calculates that 90% of the people of Aceh support independence. Western sources put the figure at 60-80%.
Mahmud feels that it is very important to discuss the current aid operations in Aceh, which was hit badly by the recent tsunami. Most of the estimated 170,000 Indonesian victims of the disaster were in Aceh.
Mahmud believes that the tsunami helped bring the Indonesian government to the negotiating table. The disaster opened Aceh to international aid efforts, and the interest of the world focused on the province.
GAM was founded in 1976, and the armed independence struggle also began in that year, when Hasan di Tiro, a descendant of the sultans of Aceh, returned to the province from the United States. A few years later GAM sent part of its leadership abroad.
Hasan di Tiro ended up in Sweden in the early 1980s, and he was followed by a few other leaders.
Di Tiro is now over 80 years old, and weakened by illness. Currently Mahmud and the movement's "foreign minister" Zani Abdullah are the leaders of the separatist movement.
The two were arrested by Swedish police last summer, suspected of planning kidnappings and arson attacks in Aceh.
Swedish prosecutors would have wanted to detain the two, but a Swedish court did not feel that the evidence, provided by Indonesia, was sufficient. The investigation is still continuing.
Helsingin Sanomat