Indonesian government officials and representatives from the Free Aceh movement were due to hold their first face-to-face talks in over a year in Finland, thousands of miles from the tsunami-shattered region.

Delegations from the Indonesian government and the GAM, or Free Aceh movement, arrived in Helsinki on Thursday, and met initially for separate talks with former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, who is mediating.

Since then Aceh province, which is in the north of Sumatra island, has suffered a massive humanitarian disaster due to the earthquake and tsunami that occurred on December 26 last year. Most of the estimated 228,000 deaths caused by the disaster in Indonesia occurred in Aceh.

GAM has been fighting to win independence for Aceh since 1976.

Both sides have called for a formal ceasefire in order to facilitate the massive international relief operation currently going on. However the fighting has continued.

The Helsinki deliberations, which are expected to go on through the weekend, are unlikely to go beyond formalizing a month-long cessation of hostilities.

Jakarta has meanwhile stated that it would reject any demand for independence for Aceh, which has lucrative natural resources.

PHOTO CAPTION

Free Aceh Movement's (GAM) exiled leader Prime Minister Malik Mahmud (R,front) and GAM's chief negotiator (Health and Foreign Minister) Zaini Abdullah (R) arrive at Helsinki's Vantaa airport. (AFP)