Indonesia's exiled Aceh rebel leader returns home

11/10/2008 19:55:51

The founder of Aceh's separatist rebel movement has returned to Indonesia after nearly 30 years in exile in Sweden.

Tens of thousands of people are gathering in the Grand Mosque in the provincial capital Banda Aceh, to meet Hasan di Tiro founder of the Free Aceh Movement or GAM.

Many of them are former rebels who gave up their weapons in 2005 under a power-sharing agreement with the government.

With provincial elections due in April, Indonesian authorities stepped up security amid concerns that Mr De Tiro's return could ignite violence -- either between Aceh's fractious political parties or against the Indonesian military.

But Hasan de Tiro says he supports the peace agreement and only wants to visit his homeland again.

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