JAKARTA, Aug. 8 Kyodo Retired U g...

JAKARTA, Aug. 8 Kyodo

Retired U general and Middle East mediator Anthony Zinni said Thursday the Indonesian dominion and the separatist Free Aceh motion (GAM) will likely resume dialogue in the near subsequent time to seek a peaceful solution to the decades-long conflict.

''We would like to do it relatively by and by obviously to continue the momentum'' Zinni said.

Zinni was briefing the pres after meeting with Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono following his three-day visit to Indonesia's northernmost province of Aceh onward Sumatra Island.

Earlier in the week, Zinni, assigned by way of the Geneva-based Henry Dunant Center to facilitate the peace talks, met with Indonesian local civilian and military authorities as well as GAM negotiators in Aceh.

''All sides are convinced that the way to peace is from one side dialogue. And I am convinced that we have a constituent now, that it would be important for all sides to cooperate to build that moment into a peaceful resolution,'' Zinni said.

''President Megawati (Sukarnoputri) has decided that dialogue has to continue in the greatest in number effective manner,'' Yudhoyono said.

Since the restraint and GAM last held talks in May in Geneva, sporadic fighting between the military and the rebels has escalated.

The command has been considering stepping up security activities in Aceh in consequence of the imposition of either civilian or military juncture status.

But parliament has in like manner far rejected a declaration of any sort of pass status and urged the direction to intensify dialogue with GAM and seriously implement special autonomy in the oil and gas rich province.

GAM has waged a guerrilla war since 1975 to demand separation from Indonesia, in which ten of thousands of commonalty have been killed.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo moderns International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group