Nur Raihan, Banda Aceh – Today, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the Indonesian Government and the Free Aceh Movement in Helsinki is exactly one year old. Tens of thousands of people commemorated the deal with marches around the city of Banda Aceh on Tuesday August 15.

Radzie, Banda Aceh – The commemoration of one year of peace in Aceh was also marked by an action by hundreds of protesters at the Baiturrahman Raya Mosque in Banda Aceh on Tuesday August 15.

Banda Aceh – Thousands of people from various regions of Aceh have began arriving in Banda Aceh to commemorated one year since the Helsinki agreement that falls on August 15 tomorrow. They plan to hold a peaceful action and joint prayers in at several locations in Banda Aceh.

Radzie, Banda Aceh – The Aceh chapter of the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) has been included in a list of illegal or banned organisations that was issued by the governor of Aceh through Decree Number 235/13246 dated June 21, 2006.

Radzie, Banda Aceh – A statement by Indonesia’s senior representative on the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM), Major General Bambang Darmono, which categorised the Aceh Referendum Information Center (SIRA) as an illegal organisation has been condemned by civil activist groups in Aceh.

Adi W, Banda Aceh – Indonesia’s senior representative on the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM), Major General Bambang Darmono, has confirmed that there are no longer any illegal groups in Aceh. If there still are, then these groups must be disbanded immediately.

Halim Mubary & Armia AM, Bireuen – Thousands of Bireuen residents from the 17 sub-districts that make up the regency, inundated the grounds of the Bireuen Grand Mosque on Thursday May 11 to hold a peaceful action to oversee the Draft Law on Aceh Government (RUU-PA). A similar action was also held in Lhokseumawe.

Banda Aceh – The Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) has asked the Indonesian government to immediately conduct an investigation into the illegal groups that were behind the recent attack on the Aceh Referendum Information Center (SIRA) in Blang Pidie, West Aceh.

Rilis, Banda Aceh – A meeting of the Commission for Security Arrangements (COSA) on Saturday February 25 has discussed a number of crucial issues that have taken place in Aceh such as violence against members of the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) and the vandalism of the Aceh Referendum Information Center (SIRA) offices in Blang Pidie, West Aceh.

Imran MA, Banda Aceh – The Blang Pidie representative offices of the Aceh Referendum Information Center (SIRA) in West Aceh was attacked by a group of around 100 militia on Friday February 17. All of the office equipment including a typewriter, radio and other materials were destroyed. The office is now under a tight police guard.

Nova Maulani, Jakarta – Flavours of West Papua dominated a demonstration in Jakarta by people from Indonesia’s eastern-most province. They were demanding that police release the eight people that have been cited as carrying out the shooting of US citizens in Timika in 2002.

Emmy F, Kupang – Feeling as if the government is treating him as a stepchild, former pro-Jakarta militia have reassembling their forces by forming the Ex-East Timor Forum for Struggle.

Sunariah, Jakarta – Former army chief of staff, General Ryamizard Ryacudu, has warned that there is a potential threat that could undermine the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) being posed by a number of neighbouring countries such as Australia, Singapore and Malaysia.

AK-7 & AK-26, Lhokseumawe – Speaking in Lhokseumawe on Friday August 5, the commander of the Iskandar Muda territorial military command, Major General Supiadin AS, said that there are parties who want to thwart the signing of the peace agreement between Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) on August 15.

Jakarta – A number of non-government organisations support the government’s efforts to resolve the Aceh problem by continuing the dialogue with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Jakarta – The Minister of Defense, Juwono Sudarsono, says that the Helsinki meetings which are an informal forum for discussions between Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) are a personal initiative on the part of Vice-president Jusuf Kalla.

Port Numbay (Jayapura) – Around 500 indigenous Papuans organised by the Papua Youth Group (Kelompok Pemuda Papua) held a demonstration against the integration of West Papua in to the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia on the morning of Sunday May 1 at the Trikora Abepura Square.

The desire by the government of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to create an opportunity for a peace agreement and end the armed conflict with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) should be welcomed all elements of society. This positive signal should also be welcomed by GAM.

Agus Supriyanto, Jakarta – Eurico Guterres, the former commander of the Pro-Integration Youth (PPI)1, visited the Cipinang Correctional Institution to look in on former East Timorese governor Abilio Soarez, prior to the call to evening prayers on Friday November 5.

Jakarta, Kompas – Former East Timor governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares has questioned the verdict handed down against him by the courts.