|
Asian Tsunamis disaster
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, Dec. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Nearly 3,500 people held mass prayers for tsunami victims here on Sunday, a day ahead of the first anniversary of the disaster that left over 169,000 Acehnese dead or missing and half a million homeless.
The mass prayers lasted for nearly two hours.
Earlier on Saturday, they paid a devotional visit to the mass graves of tsunami victims in Lamgarut village, some 10 km from provincial capital city Banda Aceh.
A total of 46,718 unidentified bodies were buried in the mass cemetery.
Hundreds of local and foreign journalists have gathered here inrecent days to attend Monday's memorial ceremony to be attended byIndonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Enditem
Aceh people expect lasting peace
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, Dec. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Residents of Indonesia's Aceh are cherishing the current peaceful environment, which created jointly by the Indonesian government and the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) after signing a peace deal four months ago to end three decades of hostility which had claimed 15,000 lives.
"I can drive safely now without scare of being ambushed by GAM members, and we hope the peace to last forever so that we can do our business well," taxi driver Amin told Xinhua here on Sunday.
Amin is among millions of Acehneses who can feel the peace bornout of the peace agreement, which started to be discussed right after the tsunami. The killer tsunami ravaged the resource-rich province on Dec. 26, 2004, leaving over 169,000 Acehnese dead or missing and half a million homeless.
Amran, an official at the Public Works Department of the local government, said that currently his office could implement all development projects smoothly and efficiently.
"Before the agreement was signed, many projects had to be delayed due to the threat from GAM. Sometimes we had to pay for GAM, or we had to employ troops to secure the development of projects," he said.
In the downtown of capital city Banda Aceh, the capital of the province, most restaurants and vendors now stay open later at night as they do not have to worry about their security anymore.
"Before the peace agreement was signed, we use to close before nine o'clock p.m., but now it is safe, so we can close before midnight," restaurant owner Mujahiddin told Xinhua here on Sunday.
"The revenue of my restaurant has begun to rise. I do not want it to stop for security reasons," he said.
Earlier on Saturday, Indonesia Minister of Information Sofyan Djalil said that the end of the conflict had paved the way for rebuilding the tsunami-hit province.
"In the future, it is expected that the peace in Aceh is permanent, investment will come, and economy will grow," he told Xinhua by phone.
Further more, Head of the Aceh and Nias Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency (BRR) Kuntoro Mangkusubroto told Xinhua by phone on Sunday that some GAM members had taken part in the rebuilding efforts.
"With the peace agreement, the rebuilding and rehabilitation process can be speeded up," he said, adding that one former GAM member had a top-level post in the agency and four others would join the agency's work soon.
According to the peace deal signed on August 15 in Helsinky, Finland, GAM has handed over all their weapons recently and government troops and police withdrawal will complete on December 29.
In the deal, GAM gave up its demand to establish an independentstate in the province, while the government in return allowed its members to form political party to have a say in local issues.
"The peace process is still on track. The commitment from both sides are strong," Yuri Lass, spokesman of the Aceh Peace Monitoring Mission told Xinhua here on Sunday. Enditem [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] | 
Breaking
News 
