The Indonesian government and Aceh rebels met for peace talks on Monday in an effort to agree on a cease-fire and wide-ranging autonomy for the tsunami-struck province. On Monday, a member of the rebel delegation said it would seek the complete withdrawal of the 50,000 Indonesian security forces from the region as part of any negotiated settlement. The negotiations are expected to continue until Wednesday and focus on Jakarta's proposal to give the region self-government within Indonesia. "We want to discuss the agenda that has been proposed. We are trying to find a solution of termination of conflict in Aceh within the framework of local autonomy," Indonesian Communications Minister Sofyan Djalil said on his arrival Sunday in Helsinki. But former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, who has convened the talks, said he did not expect quick results. "Results in these kinds of questions can't be achieved in one or even two meetings," Ahtisaari said in an interview with Finnish YLE TV. "I would hope that they could discuss ... whether they could find a solution through the issue of special autonomy that could end the fighting." Djalil said he was "quite optimistic" about agreeing on a cease-fire. "That's why we've come here," he said.
