Former rebels in Indonesia's tsunami-ravaged Aceh said a proposed law, aimed at cementing terms of a 2005 peace deal with the government, violates the accord's spirit. They threatened to contest the law with international monitors.
Indonesia's parliament was slated Tuesday to pass the law, which should give Aceh greater autonomy and 70 percent of the revenues from its natural resources, including large natural gas and oil reserves.

The former rebels called for amendments to the bill, and said if lawmakers fail to implement them they will take their dispute to the EU-led Aceh Monitoring Mission or Crisis Management Initiative, which helped end the decades-long civil war. The process picked up pace after an earthquake and resulting tsunami struck Aceh in December 2004, killing more than 131,000 people in the province and leaving half a million others homeless.

Munawarliza Zain, a spokesman for the former rebels, said Saturday they will oppose the bill via all legal means, but will not resume violence.

In the bill's current form it would hamper democratization in Aceh, including the first-ever direct elections for the governor. It "has the potential to ruin peace," he said.
Articles in the proposed law about the extent of the central government's authority and the role of Indonesia's military in Aceh are unclear and could foster distrust, he said.

One article of the bill, a draft copy of which was seen by The Associated Press, changes wording from the peace deal, effectively limiting Aceh's say over decisions taken in Jakarta about international cooperation in Aceh.