Banda Aceh – Students from the Aceh Democratic Network (Jaringan Demokrasi Aceh, JDA) opened a coordination post at the Banda Aceh City Park on Tuesday May 9 to guard the Draft Law on Aceh Government (RUU-PA)

Aguswandi, Banda Aceh – Just when you think you have things figured out, they turn topsy-turvy on you. This might be the best way to describe the fallout caused by those advocating the division of Aceh into two new provinces.

Tiarma Siboro and Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Aceh is set hold its first-ever gubernatorial elections sometime in August, with independent candidates expected to contest the polls, the government announced Thursday.

Jakarta – A draft law proposed by lawmakers on the tsunami-ravaged Indonesian province of Aceh will impose Shariah, or Islamic law, on all non-Muslims, the military and police, a local law enforcement official said Thursday.

Banda Aceh – Acehnese students have again demonstrated – this time in greater numbers – in the thousands.

Jakarta – Delays in passing a bill clearing the way for elections in Indonesia's Aceh province may play into the hands of former separatist rebels, boosting their strength when the ballots finally come.

Nur Raihan, Banda Aceh – Thousands of students from universities across the Acehnese provincial capital of Banda Aceh held a demonstration at the Baiturrahman Great Mosque on Sunday April 30. They were demanding that the government immediately ratify the Draft Law on Aceh Government (RUU-PA).

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The government insisted Tuesday that Muslims and non-Muslims alike in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam should be tried by the planned Islamic Court in the predominantly Muslim province.

Banda Aceh – National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) member MM Billah believes that there is strong resistance from a certain circles against trying the perpetrators of human rights violations in Aceh during the period of armed conflict. In general this resistance is most likely from those groups of people who committed the violations.

Rendi Akhmad Witular, Jakarta – The government has asked the international Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) to extend its presence in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam to help ensure upcoming local elections – to be participated in by former rebels – comply with the peace accord signed by Jakarta and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Aboeprijadi Santoso, Amsterdam – As the debate on the law on the Aceh administration enters a critical stage, the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) is preparing ground to establish a political party. Never in the history of Indonesia has an armed separatist movement taken such a turnabout, helping to preserve the existing nation-state – a unique chance all sides involved should not miss.

Aguswandi, Banda Aceh – Aceh is currently still in a transition to peace. The province does not yet have a sustainable peace, and the new legislation being prepared for Aceh's political future, which is still being debated by lawmakers, will determine whether this transition will ensure a genuinely sustainable peace or mark the beginning of another conflict.

Mark Dodd and Stephen Fitzpatrick – The warning signs were obvious to anyone paying attention. Cashed up Indonesian government officials were suddenly able to afford flashy new cars and motorbikes.

After living abroad for decades, the self-exiled leaders of Aceh's rebel movement have returned to Indonesia to support the province's peace process, but a prominent American journalist remains banned from entering the country.

Jakarta – Indonesia's vice president set an August target date for elections in Indonesia's tsunami-ravaged Aceh province. The elections are a key part of a peace agreement reached last year to end a 29-year civil war.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The controversy over the payment of "incentives" to legislators during the deliberation of the Aceh governance bill is causing tension in the House of Representatives.

Home Minister M. Ma'ruf has admitted to paying Rp 5 million (about US$550) to each House member deliberating the bill as a special "incentive" to speed up the process.

Radzie, Banda Aceh – Hundreds of activists from the Acehnese Democratic Network (JDA), students and local people held a parade though the streets of Banda Aceh on Friday April 21.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The return of exiled leaders of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) indicates that a permanent and peaceful resolution to the three decades of conflict in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam is just around the corner, an observer says.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) revealed Thursday that the use of the emergency fund overseen by the National Disaster Management and Refugee Coordination Board (Bakornas) for tsunami victims in Aceh and Nias was rife with irregularities.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – No special preparations are being made for the return of several exiled Free Aceh Movement (GAM) leaders to the province, the group's senior representative at the Aceh Monitoring Mission said Tuesday.

Banda Aceh – Leaders of the former separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) returned to their homeland after 30 years in exile, the latest step forward in a much-hailed peace process. The group, including former "prime minister" Malik Mahmud and "foreign minister" Zaini Abdullah, were greeted by about 500 well-wishers, including former GAM guerrilla commander Muzakir Manaf.

Heru Margianto, Jakarta – What are conditions like in Aceh six months after the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Indonesian government was signed in Helsinki? The answer – safe but the economic situation is poor say Acehnese.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – Residents in Aceh Jaya regency have urged the government to suspend the reissuance of three forest concession permits intended to facilitate the Aceh reconstruction program in the area for not accommodating people's aspirations living around the forests.

Michael Sheridan, Banda Aceh – This was supposed to be the scene of the world's greatest aid effort, but endemic corruption has drained it of millions of pounds while leaving tens of thousands of tsunami victims stranded in tents.

Mardiyah Chamim, Jakarta – It was a breezy, sunny day. The Neusu soccer field in capital Banda Aceh was abuzz with positive energy. A dozen or so small boys were playing soccer, while several young men jogged around the field – A happy scene amid the sadness left by the deadly tsunami that killed more than 100,000 people in December 2004.

Pasi – Furious tsunami survivors at this village in Indonesia's Aceh have told an international aid agency that they no longer want their help after waiting a year for them to build promised houses.

Rini Kustiani, Jakarta – The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) believes that the national political parties do not want former GAM members to joint them.

Banda Aceh – Her face heavily made-up, 'Bella Saphira' struts a darkened length of cement path along the Krueng Aceh river in Indonesia's Banda Aceh, wearing a loosely flowing dress but no Islamic veil.Elsewhere in the staunchly-Muslim province of Aceh, which has been gradually implementing Islamic sharia law, Muslim women are required to cover their heads – but then, Saphira is not

Tiro – Ibrahim looks out toward what was once his modest vegetable farm in Indonesia's Aceh province, before decades of separatist conflict reduced his fields to little more than mud.

"I would like help to get my garden back that I had in the mountains, beyond the rice fields, so that I could grow more cocoa and onions," he says wistfully.

Tb.Arie Rukmantara, Jakarta – The government is defending its much-criticized decision to revive issuing forestry concessions to timber companies in Aceh, saying the plan was vital to support the reconstruction of the tsunami-ravaged province.

Armia AM, Lhokseumawe – As a result of delays in the ratification of the Acehnese version of the Draft Law on Aceh Government (RUU-PA), thousands of university and high-school students in the city of Lhokseumawe held a Aceh Peace action at the North Aceh Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) on Thursday April 6.

Jakarta – Considering the massive level of deforestation in tsunami-hit Nangroe Aceh Darussalam province over the last five years, the government should review its decision to revive eight forestry concessions there, an environmental organization says.

Jakarta – Illegal levies on trucks carrying relief supplies to tsunami-devastated Aceh province is adding to the costs of reconstruction, and Indonesia must crack down on the practice, the World Bank and the agency in charge of rebuilding said Tuesday.

Misdarul Ihsan, Banda Aceh – On Monday April 3, Acehnese student organisations from the Aceh Peace Alliance (AAD) once again held a demonstration in support of the Draft Law on Aceh Government (RUU-PA) that is currently being deliberated by the House of Representatives (DPR).

Jakarta – Uncovering human right abuses in Aceh will likely take time because of strong resistance from the military and police, observers say.

Indonesia has missed a deadline to pass a law granting autonomy to Aceh under a peace pact with separatists but both sides say the delay would not derail the process.

The pact signed last August by the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) called for a law granting Aceh partial self-rule by March 31.

Jakarta – More than 100 cases of sexual violence or harassment have been reported by Acehnese women living in camps and shelters after the 2004 tsunami, according to a report by an Indonesian women's commission released Thursday.

Bhimanto Suwastoyo, Jakarta – Indonesia will miss a deadline Friday to pass a crucial law granting autonomy to Aceh but the province's peace process should remain on track if the two sides maintain open dialogue, analysts said.

Wellington – About 10,000 houses built by international aid agencies for tsunami victims in Indonesia are unfit for human habitation and may have to be rebuilt, a newspaper reported Wednesday.

Raden Rachmadi, Jakarta – The result of the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) research in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province on March 8-18 shows that most of the people there yearn for the establishment of a local party.

Hera Diani, Jakarta – Six months after the government and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) signed a peace deal, the Acehnese say they are feeling more secure but many still worry the accord could break down at any time, a survey says.

James Balowski, Jakarta – On March 16, left-wing Acehnese political activists publicly launched the Acehnese Peoples Party Preparatory Committee (KP-PRA), which they hope will provide the basis for establishing the first local political party.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) in Aceh deplored the recent decision of the Forestry Ministry to grant forest utilization licenses to five companies in the province.

Wahyu Dhyatmika, Jakarta – Although the recess at the House of Representatives (DPR) starts next week, the Special Committee for the Aceh Government Draft Bill will still continue its discussions in order to meet the deadline.

They took their place behind a piece of card bearing their name in orderly fashion, a sharp click signaling an end to their moment in front of the camera.

Nur Raihan Banda Aceh – Not long from now a local political party will enliven the political dynamics in Aceh. An embryonic Acehnese political party has already been officially launched.

The embryonic local party is called the Acehnese Peoples Party Preparatory Committee (KP-PRA) which already has representatives in 11 regencies/cities across Aceh.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – A number of legislators backed Thursday a call for the inclusion of articles into the bill on Aceh governance specifically disbanding the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Shinta Shinaga, Banda Aceh – The peace process in Aceh has encountered a stumbling stone. Militia groups still exist and recently their level of activity has even been increasing. Added to this is the spread of illegal weapons.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Golkar Party, the biggest faction in the House of Representatives, has led the way in declaring its support for independent candidates to contest direct elections in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.