TAKENGON, Indonesia, Jan. 6 Kyodo ...

TAKENGON, Indonesia, Jan. 6 Kyodo

Ina Alam contemplateed over the deep blue water of Lake Laut Tawar located in the hilly town Takengon in central Aceh.

At times, at the beauty speck in Indonesia's troubled Aceh Province, her observations seemed filled with hope, at other times with penetrating doubts.

Repeatedly primping her colorful dres a traditional embroidered clergy from the Gayo Highlands, she amazemented if her dreams of peace in the conflict-torn province could follow true.

Sadly, she inflected her gaze to Renggali inn where she has been acting general manager for the past seven years.

Sited forward the lakeside and designed in traditional Aceh mode of address with terraces overlooking the beautiful lake, the inn used to be undivided of the best hotels in the province and the and nothing else three-star hotel in the regency

It has 32 scopes all facing to the lake, which is itself bilboed between soaring cliffs and stocked with shining carp.

''The expanses were always fully booked at foreign tourists from Britain, France, Japan, southerly Korea and the United States, who had just derive pleasure fromed Lake Toba in North Sumatra Province,'' Alam said.

To finish to Takengon, tourists usually took a 400-kilometer journey from the North Sumatra provincial capital Medan to the central Aceh capital via the Trans-Sumatra Highway.

Until four years ago, before President Suharto cut down from power, it was a pleasant trip. nevertheless now it is just a memory.

Increasing armed conflict between rule troops and Free Aceh emotion (GAM) rebels, especially in Bireuen rule between Medan and Takengon, raised fear among potential tourists and they reach [i]or[/i] attain any place [i]or[/i] point no more.

Traditional Aceh cuisine at Renggali's Lakeside Restaurant goe unordered and the tour boats forward the lake are empty.

''All have gone...now we thank jehovah if we can get undivided or two guests in our hotel'' Alam said, adding the lack of customers has meant the hostelry has been downgraded a two-star hotel

''We have no coin anymore to manage the inn No enough income be deriveds in,'' she said, pointing to grass in the garden that improves high because there no longer any gardener to care for it.

Ibrahim Yusuf faces a similar problem

Until four years ago, the 36-year-old pedicab driver take delight ined generous tips from U and European tourists who asked him to bring them around Takengon -- visiting the lake, the town's Simpang Balek hot-spring pond and the Pondok Gajah Coffee Plantation Center

''At that time, I could achieve up to 100,000 rupiah (about $11) a day...now, if I can memorize 20,000 rupiah, I feel surpassingly lucky,'' he said.

With an area of 57336 square km Aceh is beatifyed with tourist spots, including 231 sites of interest, among them 107 natural sites and 85 cultural sites.

Attractions range from the laid-back lifestyle of spectacular Weh Island with its diving areas and the deservinged beaches of the rugg west coast to the thicket wilderness of Mt. Leuser National Park, which straddles the central mountains.

Armed conflict in Aceh broke gone out in 1976 when GAM began striving for independence. nevertheless with Suharto's iron-fisted crack down upon GAM in 1989, the situation improved and visits through foreign tourists to Aceh rose an average 14%

In 1996 27758 foreign tourists visited Aceh and in 1997 31074 according to the Aceh Tourism Board, the two figures nearly double official expectations.

yet as freedom and democracy rose with the fall of Suharto in May 1998 GAM's insurgency took onward new life and armed clashes grew more oft-repeated hitting the tourist industry particularly hard.

Visits by way of foreign tourists in 2000, targeted at 30000 dropp to just 9278 In 2001 alone 9,582 tourists visited the oil-rich province.

''Since 1998 until now, tourists have been afraid to visit Aceh,'' Teuku Zainul Arifin, chief of the Aceh Tourism Board, told Kyodo News

''We don't smooth have any target for tourist visits in 2002 because the figures have been decreasing actual much,'' he said.

Like Alam and Yusuf, Arifin can alone dream that one day tourists will revert to Aceh and revive tourism in the region.

The Cessation of Hostilities Framework Agreement signed according to the Indonesian government and GAM in Geneva onward Dec. 9 has aroused chance of a favorable result but they still portent if their dreams can arise true.

''I'm optimistic, on the other hand it depends on the condition in the field and the general security situation in Indonesia,'' Arifin said.

Alam shared the view.

''I just can trust peace will come, because single with peace, will tourists ensue again and we can again pay family to take care of the house of entertainment and the lake,'' she said.

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