Dara, Banda Aceh – A number of women’s activists that are concerned about the fate of women have declared a new local political party that has been given the name the Acehnese People’s Alliance Party for Women’s Concern (Partai Aliansi Rakyat Aceh Peduli Perempuan, PARAPP).

Banda Aceh – The Acehnese People’s Party (PRA), the first local political party to be established in Aceh, is appealing to the public to remain calm and not be provoked by the by the recent string of grenade and bomb attacks on the homes of Free Aceh Movement (GAM) leaders and regional government officials in Aceh.

The central government has issued Government Regulation Number 20/2007 on Local Political Parties in Aceh. The decision was announced at the State Palace yesterday. The following is a summary by Aceh Kita’s editors of the government regulation that so many have been waiting for.

Rini Kustiani, Jakarta – A volunteer who has been working in Aceh since the tsunami disaster submitted a judicial review of the hate sowing articles in the Criminal Code to the Constitutional Court on Wednesday March 21.

Banda Aceh – Acehnese women from the Gender Working Group (GWG) held a peaceful action to commemorate International Women’s Day (IWD) on Thursday March 8.

Nur Raihan, Banda Aceh – Hundreds of Acehnese women’s activists held a march from the Baiturrahman Great Mosque in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh to the offices of the Aceh Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) on March 8. The action was organised to commemorate International Women’s day.

Armia AM, Lhokseumawe – The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has declared its commitment to fight for cases of past human rights cases. In addition to this, GAM has also admitted that it will continue to seek amendments to Law Number 11/2006 on Aceh Governance.

Banda Aceh – While waiting to officially declare the party, the Acehnese People’s Party (PRA) – the first local political party in Aceh – is currently in process of establishing a party leadership board. This was conveyed by PRA General Chairperson Thamren Ananda in Banda Aceh on Monday March 5.

Banda Aceh – Aguswandi BR and Thamrin Ananda have been elected by acclaim as the general chairperson and secretary general of the Acehnese People’s Party for the next five year period.

Banda Aceh – Around 75 participants attending a conference of the Preparatory Committee for the Acehnese People’s Party (KP-PRA) are being treated at the Zainoel Abidin Public Hospital for poisoning after consuming food. Twenty three are still being treated in hospital.

Banda Aceh – The chairperson of the Preparatory Committee for the Acehnese People’s Party (KP-PRA) is urging the government to immediately ratify the Draft Government Regulation on Local Political Parties in Aceh.

Radzie, Banda Aceh – The Preparatory Committee for the Acehnese People’s Party (Komite Persiapan Partai Rakyat Aceh, KP-PRA) will hold its first congress between February 27 and March 2. Following the congress, the party will be declared as the first local political party in Aceh.

Adi Warsidi, Banda Aceh – The Acehnese government will continue to struggle for the formation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR) even though the Constitutional Court has put the law on the formation of the commission on ice.

Nur Raihan, Banda Aceh – Around 100 Aceh activist held a demonstration in front of the Aceh Independent Election Commission (KIP) offices on Monday December 10.

Nur Raihan, Banda Aceh – Today, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the Indonesian Government and the Free Aceh Movement in Helsinki is exactly one year old. Tens of thousands of people commemorated the deal with marches around the city of Banda Aceh on Tuesday August 15.

Radzie, Banda Aceh – The commemoration of one year of peace in Aceh was also marked by an action by hundreds of protesters at the Baiturrahman Raya Mosque in Banda Aceh on Tuesday August 15.

Banda Aceh – Thousands of people from various regions of Aceh have began arriving in Banda Aceh to commemorated one year since the Helsinki agreement that falls on August 15 tomorrow. They plan to hold a peaceful action and joint prayers in at several locations in Banda Aceh.

Lhokseumawe – Around 1000 women from the Inong Aceh League demonstrated in the North Acehnese city of Lhokseumawe on Monday August 7.

Denmark – On Monday July 31, members of the Acehnese community residing in Denmark sent a special letter to the High Representative of the European Union Javier Solana and the secretary general of the United Nations Kofi Annan.

Radzie, Banda Aceh – The Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) is asking the Indonesian government to clarify a number of points in the Aceh Governance Law (UU-PA) that are not in compliance with the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The AMM’s mission in Aceh is also to be extended until November 2006.