Hasan Tiro arrives in Aceh, thousands flock to greet

The Jakarta Post   |  Sat, 10/11/2008 11:53 AM  |  Headlines

Former leader of Free Aceh Movement Hasan Di Tiro has arrived in Aceh where he would meet friends and family members whom he had left for nearly 30 years.

Tiro led the separatist movement in exile in Stockholm, Sweden, for 25 years until he signed a peace agreement with the government in Helsinki, Finland, in August 2005.

He arrived in Sultan Iskandar Muda airport at 11.25 Saturday accompanied by 140 people from Malaysia using a Firefly Airlines, a Malaysian government state owned airline.

Thousands of people flock from various parts of Aceh and gather at the most sacred site in the province, the Baiturrahman Mosque, where they would meet and greet their beloved leader, Hasan Tiro.

Many stores in the city of Banda Aceh are closed as the owners are going to the mosque to pay their respect to Hasan.

Prior to arrived in Aceh, Hasan Tiro was in Malaysia for a week meeting political supporters, friends and representatives of the Indonesian government. During his stay in Kuala Lumpur, he was accompanied by figures who were involved in the peace negotiations between the Indonesian government and GAM in Helsinki.

The peace deal between the Indonesian government with GAM was sealed after Aceh was devastated by tsunami in December 2004 and helped brokered by former Finland president Martti Ahtisaari who on Friday announced as winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. (and)

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