Indonesia - ACEH REBELS OFFICIALLY DISARMED: Ending the 30-year insurgency
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In an answer to prayer, the civil war in Indonesia's Aceh province may be over after Free Aceh Movement rebels officially disarmed on Tuesday, December 27, effectively ending a 30-year insurgency one year after the tsunami destroyed their battlefield.
Christian groups working in Indonesia said peace talks between the rebels and the government were already underway prior to the December 26, 2004 tsunami. However, once the disaster struck, it forced the two parties to work together.
Many experts agree that the tsunami opened the door for humanitarian aid, relationship building and the potential for evangelistic work.
However, prayer remains essential. Thousands of people around the world have been praying for this region during the Praying Through The Window initiatives for more than a decade. Intercessors have prayed for this region because Indonesia is an area that has endured great persecution, even recently with many teenagers being beheaded. The hostility towards Christians may not stop overnight, but the absence of armed conflict is obviously going to be a good thing for the people of Banda Aceh.
The December 27 action paves the way for the guerrillas to transform themselves into candidates in provincial elections in April, in which they expect to win strong support. The Aceh rebels' army disbanding, which took effect immediately, is a key step in a peace plan born out of the devastation wrought by the tsunami to end an insurgency that has left at least 15,000 people dead.
"We are entering a political era now, we do not need weapons anymore," Sofyan Daud, one of the group's commanders, said.
The announcement came shortly after rebel representatives met with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Banda Aceh, the capital of the province that was the area worst hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami.
Under the peace accord, the government has agreed to withdraw its troops from Aceh, grant the province broad autonomy and allow former rebels to stand in the elections. The rebels agreed to disarm and disband.
The December 2004 tsunami left at least 156,000 of the province's people dead or missing and a half-million more homeless.
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Prayer Points
Please pray for:
* Praise God for this major step in bringing peace to the Banda Aceh area. Pray that one of Southeast Asia's longest separatist conflicts will come to an end in 2006. Pray also that Islamic oppression of the Acehnese will end.
* Thank the Lord that so many people found Christ in Indonesia during 2005. Praise God that the light continues to dispel the darkness. Pray that 2006 will be a great year for the Gospel in Indonesia.
* Thank God that the three Indonesian Sunday school teachers, who were jailed in September 2005 for allegedly forcing Muslim children to become Christians, are being used mightily by the Lord. Pray that God will continue to protect Rebekka Zakaria, Eti Pangesti and Ratna Bangun. Pray also that they will gain justice.
* Three men on death row (Tibo, Dominggus and Marinus), who are due to be executed shortly after a grossly unjust trials. They are accused of defending their people against jihadist attacks while the government stood by and did nothing to protect them.
* The revision of government regulations regarding church buildings in Indonesia, which is not proceeding well and needs divine intervention.
* Christian relief organizations working in tsunami areas to be allowed to continue to work without government or rebel interference.
* The 2005 increase in persecution of Christians in Indonesia to decline in 2006.
* Christians to be allowed to worship and live in peace as they rebuild their lives devastated by the December 2004 tsunami.
Sources: Mission Network News, The Associated Press, IndonesiaWatch, Open Doors USA
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