Austria considering participating in EU observer mission in Aceh

VIENNA (AP): Austria is considering taking part in a new European Union observer mission in Aceh province, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik would not say how large an Austrian contingent would be, saying only that the alpine country would restrict its involvement to civilian participation.

The EU observers will monitor a peace agreement in Aceh, which was ravaged by December's tsunami and has suffered from three decades of fighting.

Up to 300 monitors from the EU and five Southeast Asian countries will be deployed across the province starting Aug. 16 to ensure the Free Aceh Movement and the military abide by the peace deal, details of which were hammered out in Finland last month.

The agreement includes the withdrawal of thousands of Indonesian troops and the disarmament of the guerrillas. Finland and Sweden already have said they will participate in the mission.(*)

The Jakarta Post, 9 August 2005