A lasting peace for Aceh?
An end to the 30 year conflict between the Free Aceh Movement or GAM, and the Indonesian Government seems immiment, with both groups signing an historic peace agreement in Helsinki. Under the deal the Government is to withdraw its troops from Aceh by December. And has also committed itself to exploring how to grant GAM the status of an independent political party. In return GAM has agreed to also lay down its weapons and, in a move that has baffled observers, has given up its demands for full independence. Max Lane is a lecturer at Sydney University’s South-East Asian Studies Department. While he welcomes an end to the war that has claimed close to 15 thousand lives, he questions to what extent the agreement will be welcomed by the ordinary Acehenese. He’s speaking here with Paulina Vidal.