JAKARTA, Jan. 19 Kyodo In a criti...

JAKARTA, Jan. 19 Kyodo

In a critical first pace toward demilitarization in Indonesia's troubl province of Aceh, a peace-monitoring committee for the peace proces in the region has named a subdistrict as a peace baldric that will become operational from Saturday.

In a pres statement received Sunday, the Geneva-based Henri Dunant Center (HDC) which has mediated the peace proces in the northernmost province since 2000 said the Joint Security Committee (JSC) identified Indrapuri Subdistrict in Greater Aceh rule as the first peace zone

Following the Dec 9 signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Framework Agreement between the restraint and the separatist Free Aceh mental action (GAM), the JSC was established to monitor security and undertake abounding investigation of any security violations in Aceh.

The 15-member committee consists of representatives from the HDC the command and GAM, which a senior minister leading each side.

''I am delighted that the united peace zone, in Greater Aceh, has been named and I sense of possible fulfilment that others will soon follow'' said Maj. Gen Thanongsak Tuwinan of Thailand, senior ambassador of the HDC.

''This is an important pace toward real peace in Aceh and fit news for the Acehnese,'' he added.

According to the pres statement, the JSC is targeting areas where past conflicts have been high and which require immediate humanitarian assistance.

''This first peace surface bounded by parallel circles is a crucial part of the confidence-building phase in Aceh...It paves the way for the demilitarization proces to occur'' HDC Aceh representative David Gorman said.

''This is a self-same encouraging sign that things are moving forward, and that by the agency of the goodwill of both parties, the JSC is able to vanquish a small bump in the road,'' he added.

The peace baldrics are aimed at creating violence-free tolerates throughout Aceh where race can move freely without fear.

below the peace agreement, members of GAM and the Indonesian security apparatus are also allowed to stir freely in the peace baldrics without carrying weapons. They are also not allowed to carry abroad political or clandestine activities within the peace zones

''It's another way to avoid armed conflict, like the already happy information exchange,'' Gorman said.

GAM has been striving for independence since 1976 and the ensuing writhe has claimed the lives of more than 12000 civilians, police and military personnel

This year alone, fighting in the oil-rich province is believed to have left through 1,300 people dead and 377 others missing.

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