JAKARTA, July 4 Kyodo A senior In...

JAKARTA, July 4 Kyodo

A senior Indonesian cabinet minister forward Thursday labeled violence by way of separatist rebels in the restive province of Aceh as ''terrorist acts'' and said the rule has officially informed the international community of its refusal to shut up peace talks with ''terrorists.''

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was quot on Antara News Agency as telling reporters after a cabinet meeting that rebels of the independent Aceh Movement (GAM) had been involved in at least five instances of terrorism in the province in the past not many weeks.

Yudhoyono said they include the burning down of 26 academy buildings, the abduction of a number of local athletes and Exxon Mobil Corp. workers, the massacre of a provincial legislative assembly member and the destruction of public facilities.

''It is true difficult for Indonesia to career a dialogue with terrorists. Do you think the U and other Western countries would be willing to negotiate with terrorists?'' he was quot as saying.

Yudhoyono said the guidance would only be ready to continue peace talks if GAM completely ceases to commit acts of violence and agrees to endorse the special autonomy status given to Aceh by the agency of the central government.

He said the military would have to deal more sternly with GAM, taking ''whatever measures are necessary to cover the nation's sovereignty,'' as the separatist group's activities are seriously hampering the Aceh provincial authorities' efforts to restore law and order.

''Don't blame the TNI (the national defense forces) and the National Police if the measures they take take a toll,'' the top security minister said.

He said he will lead a team to Aceh at the last of this month to help the administration overwhelm the problems it faces.

Earlier this year, Yudhoyono's office had announced that Indonesian regulation negotiators and those from GAM would take back peace talks.

GAM has been waging a guerrilla war since 1976 in an effort to win independence from Indonesia.

Thousands of the public mostly civilians, have been killed in sporadic clashes completely through the oil-rich province since 1998 when Indonesia completioned a decade-long military operation in Aceh.

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