Aceh rebels get ready to disarm

Rebels have begun bagging up their weapons

Preparations are under way for a watershed disarming of rebels in the Indonesian province of Aceh, in line with a peace deal signed last month.

Free Aceh Movement (Gam) members gathered dozens of assault rifles due to be handed over on Thursday.

The government is to withdraw all forces sent to quell the rebellion by the end of the year, and 1,300 elite police left on Wednesday.

Some 15,000 people have died in more than 29 years of conflict in Aceh.

KEY POINTS OF THE ACCORD All hostilities cease and Gam disarms Government withdraws non-local military and police Aceh to be governed under a new law Government facilitates Aceh-based political parties Amnesty granted to Gam members Truth and reconciliation commission established Aceh monitoring mission set up by EU and Asean Full text of accord

"I'm happy, the sooner we get rid of these weapons the better," a Gam spokesman, Irwandi Yusaf, told the AP news agency. "There's no point in holding on to them now."

Some 210 Gam weapons - about a quarter of the total to be given up - are to be handed to international monitors in coming days, and the rest by the end of the year.

At the same time, the Indonesian government is gradually withdrawing about 50% of the police and soldiers stationed in Aceh -14,700 military and 9,100 police will remain.

In return for laying down their arms, the rebels have put aside their demand for full independence, accepting political representation instead, and Gam political prisoners have been released.

The atmosphere has already relaxed in Aceh, and Gam members have begun leaving their mountain hideouts to return home.

However, the EU team monitoring the peace deal did report a violation to the two sides' Memorandum of Understanding on Tuesday.

It said Gam members wounded two soldiers in Lhokseumawe on Saturday, for which they would be reported to the government.

Correspondents warn the newfound peace will remain vulnerable for some time.

Previous peace deals have fallen apart and on the ground there is still deep mistrust between the two sides.