(11 Jul 2005) SHOTLIST
1. Wide of cars waiting outside of airport terminal
2. Cutaway media waiting inside airport
3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Malik Mahmud, head of GAM negotiation team:
Q: Is it true that GAM (Free Aceh Movement) no longer wants independence for Aceh?
A"The question of independence has been put aside at the moment, yes.
Q: So you agree...with the Indonesian government then?
A: Yes, according to what we have been discuss for the last four hours.
Q: What are the biggest issues right now?
A: The biggest issue right now is whether we can have agreement or not.
Q: Are you optimistic you will reach an agreement?
A: We are optimistic, that's why we are here now."
4. Close up of arrivals screen at airport
5. Mahmud getting into his car as a reporter asks him if GAM will insist on having a political party, UPSOUND: (English) Malik Mahmud: "Yes, perhaps, yes."
6. Convoy of cars driving away from airport
STORYLINE
The head of the negotiation team for Aceh's separatist rebels arrived in Helsinki on Monday, as talks in the Finnish capital are due to start on Tuesday in a bid to reach a peace agreement for the tsunami-ravaged Indonesian province.
Both government and separatist rebels from Indonesia are attending the talks, due to last for five days and mediated by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari.
The talks are seen as decisive because they will tackle the most intractable outstanding issues, such as giving a political role to the Free Aceh Movement and the demilitarisation of the province of 4.1 million people.
The rebels have publicly dropped their independence demand, and now want the right to form their own regional political party to take part in elections for the provincial government.
When asked if the Free Aceh Movement will insist on having a political party during the talks, Malik Mahmud, the head of the rebel negotiation team, said at Helsinki's airport "perhaps, yes."
This party issue is sensitive for Jakarta, because it is generally expected that the separatists would overwhelmingly win any free vote.
The Aceh conflict has raged since 1976 and has killed at least 15-thousand people.
Peace efforts collapsed in 2003, but were revived after the December 26 earthquake and tsunami that left more than 130-thousand dead in the province.
Since the disaster, the two sides have met four times in Helsinki under the auspices of the Crisis Management Initiative, a conflict prevention group set up by Ahtisaari after he stepped down as Finland's president in 2000.
Jakarta has said it will never let Aceh separate from Indonesia, but will give it a greater say in running its affairs.
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