More than 280,000 are now presumed dead from the tsunami as bodies continue to be recovered.

As the death toll continued its sickening rise Tuesday, however, hopes grew that the waves may prove a catalyst for peace with rebels in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. At the same time, the later said it may not need a moratorium on the country's multi-billion dollar debt.

One month after the quake off the Indonesian coast caused a tsunami that spread as far as Africa, more than 280,000 are presumed dead or missing.

Despite the bodies that are recovered daily, Jakarta on yesterday lowered its estimated death toll to 96,232 killed but listed 132,197 still missing in Aceh and elsewhere in North Sumatra.

The Health Ministry, which had issued the official death toll at almost 174,000 on Sunday, gave no explanation for the revision, but an official said the change was based on instructions from senior government officials.

Indah, an official from the Health Ministry's center for prevention of health problems, said: "We will be more careful in releasing the death tally in connection with the tsunami."

Indah, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, explained that one reason for the revision was the uncertainty as to whether those people who are listed as missing are dead or not.

"People can assume that the missing ones are already deceased, but that is not how we conduct our daily report," Indah said.

Eleven Indian Ocean nations were hit by the December 26 earthquake and tsunamis.

In Aceh, where an intense effort to help hundreds of thousands of survivors is only just starting to ease with the departure of some foreign military, there are hopes that the tragedy would inspire peace with separatist rebels.

Finland had indicated that it was laying the groundwork for talks between the Indonesian Government and guerrillas who have been fighting a decades-long war for independence.

Concerns that the conflict could hinder aid efforts in Aceh have prompted the rebels and government to pledge peace, but resistance is expected from Indonesia's military and guerrillas on the ground.

Darwis Djeunieb, a commander with the rebel Free Aceh Movement, said the government's failure to follow up its offer for dialogue showed its insincerity.

"It is nonsense, nonsense from Indonesia because they continue to say they will talk but there is no contact with our leaders in Sweden," he said, adding that his men would continue to abide by a unilateral ceasefire.

Indonesian military leaders in Aceh, who say their men would only open fire on rebels interfering with relief work or in self-defense, say the talks are a political matter unlikely to loosen their grip on the region.

Efforts towards peace also continued in Sri Lanka, where the last in a group of Norwegian envoys ended a mission after apparently procuring some concessions from the government and Tamil Tiger rebels.

In another development, Indonesia's Economics Minister Aburizal Bakrie said in an interview yesterday that his country may reject an offer from the Paris Club of creditor nations of a freeze in debt repayments.

(China Daily January 26, 2005)