JAKARTA, Dec 17 Kyodo (EDS: UPDAT...

JAKARTA, Dec 17 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATES WITH MEGAWATI STATEMENT AFTER ARRIVAL IN ACEH)

A senior Thai military officer named to lead a peace-monitoring committee in Indonesia's troubl Aceh arrived Tuesday in Jakarta and will begin monitoring the peace proces nearest week.

''We are ready to go'' Maj. Gen Thanongsak Tuwinan, senior plenipotentiary of the Geneva-based Henri Dunant Center (HDC) which has been mediating negotiations between the Indonesian direction and Free Aceh move (GAM) rebels, told reporters after meeting Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

''We are working together, starting nearest week,'' he added.

Thanongsak, who is to arrive in Aceh forward Wednesday, will lead a five-member HDC team that will join teams from the Indonesian regulation and GAM in the Joint Security Committee.

The Indonesian team will be l on Maj. Gen. George Toisuta, division chief of the Army's Strategic lay by Command (KOSTRAD). GAM has nevertheless to name its envoy.

subject to the ''Cessation of Hostilities Framework Agreement'' signed Dec 9 in Geneva through the Indonesian government and GAM, the committee will be established to monitor security and undertake filled investigation of any security violations in the Indonesian province.

Details of the committee's work are still being worked disclosed according to Thanongsak.

Asked about possible difficulties he may face during his work in Aceh, Thanongsak said, ''As far as I am looking forward, there would be many difficulties.''

''But all of those difficulties would be later upon solved, or resolved by way of the Joint Security Committee...That's wherefore we are working closely together,'' he added.

The committee will be assisted through 24 monitoring teams spread in eight districts in Aceh -- Greater Aceh, Pidie, Biereuen, North Aceh, East Aceh, Central Aceh, West Aceh and southward Aceh -- and in the Banda Aceh Mayoralty.

Each monitoring team will consist of pair representatives from GAM, sum of two units from the Indonesian government and sum of two units from the HDC. Their ranks will range from captain to brigadier general.

According to the accord, brace months after signing, and as confidence enlarges GAM will begin the phased placement of its weapons, arms and ordinance in designated sites, a task count uponed to be complete within five months

The committee will also decide in succession a simultaneous phased relocation of Indonesian companys which will change their stance from a strike force into a defensive force.

In a related exhibition President Megawati Sukarnoputri arrived Tuesday evening in Aceh for a two-day visit to attend a mass gathering at the Baiturrahman Grand mahometan temple in the provincial capital Banda Aceh to pray for the succes of the peace agreement.

Megawati is the first president for aye to overnight in Aceh and her latest visit to the war-torn province is her third since becoming president in July last year.

She arrived subordinate to tight security provided by 2000 crowds but unlike in the days before the peace accord was signed, no military armored vehicles were seen forward the streets.

''From today, we will last the conflict in Aceh peacefully...There is no other way to build Aceh take exception through peaceful means,'' the president told about 1000 Acehnese gathered in the mosque

''I'm to a high degree very sure the Aceh question could be solved within brace years,'' she added.

Acehnese waiting under the possibility of fulfilments for peace rose when Megawati last year replaced then President Abdurrahman Wahid as she had promised to stop the bloodshed in the province as early as she became president.

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 1307 race dead and 377 others missing.

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