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Hopes dim for formal truce in Aceh
 Workers were burying more tsunami victims in Aceh province as a premature end to cease-fire talks between the Indonesian government and separatist rebels dampened hopes for a quick resolution to a 30-year-old conflict in the devastated province. There had been optimism that the immensity of the disaster in Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra island would spur Indonesia's government and rebels to find a way to end fighting and focus on rebuilding. But hopes were dashed when truce negotiations in Helsinki, Finland, broke off. There was no word on why the meeting ended late Saturday, a day earlier than planned. Indonesian Communications Minister Sofyan Djalil described the talks as "quite hopeful." But former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, who convened the meeting, said neither party had accepted an invitation to a second round. Posted by: Seafarious 2005-01-31 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=55184 |