BANDA ACEH: Acehnese rebels said yesterday they are willing to put their demand for secession on hold if Indonesia accepts a face-saving formula that would allow the tsunami-hit province to hold an independence referendum within five to 10 years.
The two sides held talks over the weekend in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, to consider a possible ceasefire and to reopen a peace process that was broken in May 2003 by the Indonesian military. Although the meeting ended inconclusively, both sides have said negotiations will resume in February.