One-year anniversary of the Helsinki peace accord in Aceh - 2006/08/15

Over 50,000 people gathered at Mesjid Raya Baiturahman – Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh, marked one-year anniversary of the Helsinki peace accord. Students and young people called for peace. They told me, “Acehnese love peace, but don’t lie to Aceh people.”

Aceh is at the north-western tip of the Indonesian archipelago. Since 1976, the Free Aceh Movement (GAM – Gerakan Aceh Merdeka) has been fighting to secede from Indonesia, and 4.5 million people have suffered continuous military operations by the Indonesians.

December 2006, Irwandi Yusuf, formerly a GAM spokesman, won the first direct elections in Aceh province, which was the result of a peace deal between Indonesia government and rebels from the Free Aceh Movement.

Kath's Tabblo