The rebels in Indonesia's Aceh province handed over scores of weapons and ammunition to the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) on Thursday, as part of commitment of peace deal on Aug. 15, a minister and official said.

The hand-over is a crucial element of the peace pact signed by both sides, in an effort to end the 30-years war that has claimed over 15,000 lives, most of them civilians.

"It has already handed over 78 weapons in Banda Aceh, the capital of the province," Indonesian Information Minister Sofyan Djalil told Xinhua by telephone from Aceh.

"We hope that the peace process will go smoothly," he said.

The minister said that it was expected that 25 percent of the total 840 rebels weapons could be destroyed within these three days.

"It is hoped that 210 of the rebels weapons to be collected in this first phase," he said, saying that the hand-over would be continued in the regencies of Bireun and Sigli on Friday and Saturday respectively.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Military spokesman in Aceh Let. Colonel Erie Sutiko said the military welcome the move by the rebel. But he reminded that it still needed to check the quality of the weapons in detail, as he saw there were some assembled long riffle guns and ammunitions.

"The most important is the good will of the rebels today," he told Xinhua by telephone from the restive province of Aceh.

The colonel said that the weapons were cut into three pieces to ensure they can not be used.

The provincial police Spokesman Joko Tuachman said that the action was witnessed by all parties, the chairman of the monitoring mission Peter Feith and some 30 of his personnel, Minister Sofyan Djalil, Indonesian House of Representatives members, Indonesian military and police.

To pave the peace process with the rebels, the Indonesian government provided funds for living for at least 3,000 ex-rebels and would financial assistance to them for building their livelihood.

"Five thousand rupiah per day for an ex-rebel, this is reasonable," said Indonesian Minister of People Welfare and Poverty Alleviation Alwi Shihab, citing that the subsidy would be provided no longer than 6 months.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono warned to avoid negative access during the hand-over.

Source: Xinhua