The Asean Muslim Youth Secretariate (Amsec) will be meeting Indonesia Vice-President Hamzah Haz in Jakarta sometime this week to discuss the o­ngoing conflict in Aceh.

Its chairperson Mahfuz Omar told malaysiakini that a group representing Amsec will be meeting the Indonesian veep to urge the government not to abandon settling the conflict through peaceful means.

"We are not taking sides. We hope that the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Indonesian government will return to the negotiation table so that the conflict can be resolved peacefully," he said.

He said that Amsec is hopeful a meeting could be arranged for them to meet President Megawati Sukarnoputri and the republic's army chief to persuade them to ease the tension in Aceh by withdrawing their forces from the province.

Foreign intervention

Mahfuz said Amsec also wished to relay its fear that should the conflict worsened, it would o­nly encourage foreign intervention in the region.

"This is a serious problem and has to be handled with utmost care as the consequences would not o­nly affect Indonesia but also neighbouring countries in the region."

"Apart from economic and social problems caused by refugees problems, Muslims in the region would be affected if a foreign power decides to intervene in the conflict," he said.

On Monday, Megawati signed a decree imposing martial law in the province after peace talks with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) broke down in Tokyo.

She also gave the green light to the Indonesian army to engage the separatist rebels after they failed to heed her call to disarm.

An estimated 10,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed in the battle for independence in Aceh since 1976.

The Malaysian government also expressed its hope for a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

Continue talks

Mahfuz also said that the failure of the Japan peace discussion between the Indonesian government and GAM should not de-motivate the two from continuing further talks.

"The crisis has been going o­n for 27 years. It would take a miracle for it to be settled in mere days. Just because of o­ne failed discussion, they should not abandon all hopes for a peaceful resolution. Both parties have to be patient and committed," he said.

Mahfuz who will be accompanied by Amsec secretary general Salahuddin Ayub and its Thai representatives, said that they will also be meeting Islamic bodies in Jakarta to get feedback o­n the latest development in Aceh.

They are also trying to arrange a meeting with representatives of the Acehnese, he added.

Like Amsec, other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also called for peaceful solutions to the Aceh dispute. A coalition of NGOs handed over an anti-war memorandum to the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur o­n Friday calling for peace.

According to reports, the Indonesian military initiated a large-scale offensive o­n rebel positions just hours after the martial law decree was inked by Megawati.

Fifteen warships were also reported to have been deployed to the port city of Lhokseumawe.