JAKARTA, Sept. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Indonesian National Police chief Gen. Sutanto said here on Tuesday that at least 13,000 police officers would be withdrawn from Aceh in line with the peace agreement signed in Helsinki on Aug. 15 between the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

    "We withdrew 780 police officers on Aug. 14. The second withdrawal will be conducted tomorrow (Wednesday), and will mean the (eventual) withdrawal of 13,000 police officers," he said after attending a coordination meeting on politics, laws and security.

    The pullout showed the police were serious in their support of the peace process, the Antara news agency quoted Sutanto as saying.     

    Tuesday's meeting, which lasted three hours, discussed the necessary steps the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the police must take to abide by the agreement, the report said.

    In the last 30 years, the conflict between the Indonesian government troops and GAM in Aceh province has claimed over 15,000 lives. Enditem