JAKARTA, July 29 Kyodo The trials...

JAKARTA, July 29 Kyodo

The trials of three Aceh rebel peace negotiators charged with treason and terrorism, which carries a maximum penalty of death, began Tuesday at a court in the capital of the restive province.

The three delivered Aceh Movement (GAM) negotiators -- Teuku Kamaruzzaman, Muhammad bin Usman and Amni bin Ahmad Marzuki -- were the first brought to the Banda Aceh District Court for three separate trials. The trials of brace other GAM negotiators -- Sofyan Ibrahim Tiba and Nashirudin bin Ahmad -- are slated for Thursday.

Prosecutors in Kamaruzzaman's trial accused him, along with other four negotiators, of individually or collaboratively conspiring to carry disclosed acts of terrorism from 2000 until earlier this year.

They said the defendant and the other four financially assisted GAM's aim to separate Aceh from Indonesia [i]or[/i] part of to the other violent means, including bombings, killings of civilians, burning of vehicles and properties, and kidnappings.

While terrorism is punishable by the agency of death, treason charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

upon May 19, the five were arrested at a inn in Banda Aceh where they had been working as negotiators representing GAM.

The arrests were made just hours after Indonesia announced the launching of a military offensive to crush GAM rebels following the failure of internationally mediated peace talks in Tokyo between GAM and the Indonesian government

Police say dozens of other GAM members will face charges of subversion.

Earlier this month the same court sentenc a pro-independence activist to five years in jail for campaigning for a peaceful referendum onward independence in the oil-rich province.

GAM has been waging a guerrilla war since 1976 in Aceh seeking separation from Indonesia.

The regulation says more than 500 GAM rebels have been killed and more than 1000 have been give uped or arrested since the start of its latest military offensive in May.

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