THE road to peace in Aceh is exhausting. The conflict in that region seems unending after 26 years. Following the failed talks between the Indonesian Government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) last May 18 in Tokyo, shots are being heard once again over the already blood-shed land of Aceh.

Wiryono Sastrohandoyo, a multilingual senior Indonesian diplomat, is one person who knows too well how arduous negotiations with GAM drains ones resources and p