The Indonesian government (GoI) and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) signed a historic peace agreement here on Monday to end decades of conflicts in the Indonesian province of Aceh. The following is the abstract of the pact, known as the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU):

1. Law on Governing of Aceh

-- A new Law on the Governing of Aceh will take force by March 31, 2006.

-- Aceh will exercise authority within all sectors of public affairs, except in the fields of foreign affairs, external defence, national security, monetary and fiscal matters, justice and freedom of religion.

-- The borders of Aceh correspond to the borders as of July 1, 1956.

-- Aceh has the right to use regional symbols including a flag, a crest and a hymn.

2. Political participation

-- Free and fair local elections will be organized under the new Law to elect the head of the Aceh administration and other elected officials in April 2006 as well as the legislature of Aceh in 2009.

-- All Acehnese residents will be issued new conventional identity cards prior to the elections of April 2006.

-- Full participation of all Acehnese people in local and national elections will be guaranteed in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia.

3. Economy

-- Aceh has the right to raise funds with external loans, set interest rates and taxes, conduct trade and business and seek foreign direct investment.

-- Aceh is entitled to retain 70 percent of the revenues from all its hydrocarbon deposits and other natural resources.

-- Aceh conducts the development and administration of all its seaports and airports and will enjoy direct and unhindered access to foreign countries, by sea and air.

4. Rule of law

-- The legislature of Aceh will redraft the legal code.

-- An independent and impartial court system, including a court of appeals, will be established for Aceh within the judicial system of the Republic of Indonesia.

-- The appointment of the chief of the organic police forces and the prosecutors shall be approved by the head of the Aceh administration.

-- All civilian crimes committed by military personnel in Aceh will be tried in civil courts in Aceh.

5.Human Rights

-- GoI will adhere to the United Nations International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

-- A Human Rights Court will be established for Aceh.

6.Amnesty

-- GoI will, in accordance with constitutional procedures, grant amnesty to all persons who have participated in GAM activities within 15 days of the signing of MoU.

-- Use of weapons by GAM personnel after the signing of MoU will be regarded as a violation of MoU and will disqualify the person from amnesty.

7.Reintegration into society

-- Persons who during the conflict have renounced their citizenship of the Republic of Indonesia will have the right to regain it.

-- GoI and the authorities of Aceh will help persons who have participated in GAM activities with their reintegration into the civil society. A Reintegration Fund under the administration of the authorities of Aceh will be established.

-- All pardoned political prisoners will receive an allocation of suitable farming land, employment or, in the case of incapacity to work, adequate social security from the authorities of Aceh.

8. Security arrangements

-- GAM undertakes to demobilise all of its 3000 military troops.

-- GAM will begin decommissioning all arms, ammunition and explosives on Sept. 15, 2005 and conclude the process by Dec. 31, 2005.

-- GoI will withdraw all elements of non-organic military and non-organic police forces from Aceh.

-- The relocation of non-organic military and non-organic police forces will begin and conclude in parallel with the GAM decommissioning.

-- The number of organic military forces to remain in Aceh after the relocation is 14700. The number of organic police forces to remain is 9100.

-- After the signing of MoU, all movements more than a platoon size will require prior notification to the head of the Monitoring Mission.

-- GoI undertakes the decommissioning of all illegal arms, ammunition and explosives held by any possible illegal groups and parties.

-- Organic police forces will be responsible for upholding internal law and order in Aceh.

-- Military forces will be responsible for upholding external defence of Aceh. In normal peacetime circumstances, only organic military forces will be present in Aceh.

9.Establishment of the Aceh Monitoring Mission

-- An Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) will be established by the European Union and ASEAN contributing countries with the mandate to monitor the implementation of the commitments taken by the parties in this Memorandum of Understanding.

Source: Xinhua