BOGOTA, Oct. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- The Colombian government was lukewarm on Thursday to a proposal that called for an integration of right-wing paramilitary fighters into the armed forces of the country.

    "The government does not have a position in this respect, it isone of the alternatives made by the intermediaries, yet it is not a formal proposal," said Interior and Justice Minister Sabas Pretelt.

    The initiative was put forth by former congressman Carlos Aconso Lucio in a peace process between the government and the paramilitary United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC).

    Lucio, who used to be a member of a disbanded guerrilla group, promoted the entry of former AUC members into the armed forces in the name of "re-training" supervised by officials.

    Pretelt said although the government is ready to listen "to all proposals," such an idea does not mean "it will necessarily happen."

    The minister indicated that the trend is to reintegrate the former rebels into productive lives in the agricultural sector.

    The AUC, one of Colombia's largest right-wing paramilitaries, was established in the 1980s by drug traffickers and land owners to fight leftist guerrillas in areas where government troops had little control. It has been active in northern Colombia, particularly in the areas of Antioquia and Cordoba.

    The two sides agreed in May to create a special zone in Cordobawith the aim of demobilizing some 13,000 combatants by the end of 2005.

    In the safe zone, the rebels will be protected by government troops and exempted from prosecution. But they will not be able to leave without government authorization.

    The AUC demobilization process will help ease the four-decade-long civil war in Colombia, which kills about 3,500 people a year. Enditem