Asia, Europe share knowledge on peace in Aceh

Hotli Simanjutak ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Banda Aceh, Aceh   |  Wed, 11/19/2008 7:56 PM  |  Headlines

Representatives from Asian and European countries attended a meeting in Banda Aceh on Wednesday to share knowledge on peace and measures to facilitate harmonious relations between natives and migrants.

The representatives meeting (ASEM) carries the theme "Resolution of conflicts between locals and outsiders," and has been organized by the Asia-Europe and Indonesia Peace Institute-Interpeace Aceh Program (IIAP).

Conflicts between natives and migrants often occurred in post-conflict areas in Asian and European countries, Timo Kivimaki, a Copenhagen-based senior researcher of the Nordich Institute for Asian Studies, said on Wednesday.

"The relationship among those people (natives and migrants) is an important issue in the development of communities in both Asia and Europe," he said.

In some countries, he added, the relationship had been marked with social, racial and political tensions that could threaten peace in the province even though it had signed a memorandum of
understanding in 2005 to end the war with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatists. (ewd)
 

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