Indonesia readies peace talks team as presumed death toll tops 280,000
Indonesia was readying a team of senior officials to head to Finland for talks with rebels aimed at bringing peace to tsunami-stricken Aceh province, as the Asian-wide toll of presumed dead from the disaster exceeded 280,000. Security minister Widodo Ado Sucipto and Foreign Minister Hasan Wirayuda were, according to sources, expected to meet rebel leaders fighting for the independence of Aceh, where most of Indonesia’s disaster casualties died. The talks in Helsinki are aimed at securing peace after a decades-long struggle in the province, where a huge aid operation is continuing. Full Story