Effort needed, says Aceh peace monitor

Much mistrust remains on both sides

A senior Thai military officer has warned that international envoys will not be able to enforce a ceasefire agreed for the Indonesian province of Aceh.

Major-General Thanongsak Tuwinan told the BBC that the deal aimed at ending 26 years of conflict would succeed or fail on the actions of the Indonesian Government and separatist rebels of the Free Aceh Movement (Gam).

He will be among 150 unarmed monitors overseeing disarmament and the workings of a peace accord, but he cautioned that they will not have the strength to intervene.

The two sides signed an historic deal earlier this week, which allows for autonomy and free elections in Aceh in exchange for the rebels disarming.

The pact falls short of the independence the separatists had hoped for, and they have not renounced their desire for a referendum on the issue.

General Thanongsak said: "There's quite a lot of work to do here."

He told the BBC's East Asia Today programme: "The success, or the failure, of this mission depends pretty much on both sides."

Delicate ceasefire

Two people have been confirmed shot dead in Aceh since Monday's peace deal, human rights workers have said.

Terms of the deal

Immediate ceasefire

Free elections in 2004 to establish an autonomous government, but no independence

New provincial government allowed to keep 70% of fuel revenues

Rebels must disarm in designated areas

However there have been no reports of ceasefire violations from the security forces or the separatists.

Bulhaqki Bin Abdul Rahman, 27, was killed on Thursday at his house in Bireuen district, AFP news agency reported. A 30-year-old woman's body was found on Wednesday on a roadside in southern Aceh.

Such killings have been an almost daily occurrence in Aceh, where more than 10,000 people, mainly civilians, have been killed since 1976.

Independence fight

Under the peace deal, an elected provincial government will be allowed to keep up to 70% of Aceh's substantial oil and gas revenues.

Members of Gam have warned they will not give up their campaign for independence

"Free Aceh Movement was formed to fight for the independence of Aceh. That is the aim of Gam and it will remain so," said its leader, Malik Mahmud, on Monday.

But he stressed Acehnese would now choose their future through elections.

Under the terms of the agreement, the rebels are supposed to give up their weapons and place them in designated sites.

But how and when to disarm has been a major bone of contention during negotiations.