ABRI sends medical datachment to Bosnia
JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung bade farewell yesterday to troopers who are taking part in Indonesia's peacekeeping mission in the war-torn Bosnia Herzegovina.
The Garuda XIV contingent is a detachment of chiefly Army personnel who will join the United Nations peacekeeping force in the former Yugoslav republic, marking the first time that Indonesia has sent such a mission to a European country.
A total of 219 personnel flew out on a chartered Garuda Indonesia plane last night, according to the Antara news agency.
The detachment, commanded by Lt. Col. Dr. Heridadi, includes 47 officers. An advance team of 62 personnel had already left the country early this month.
The government and the military have resisted pressure from various local Moslem organizations to send combat troops to the UN mission to help protect the mostly Moslem Bosnians in the face of Serbian aggression and the "ethnic cleansing" campaign.
ABRI leaders pointed out that Indonesian troopers are not trained or equipped to cope with the wintry conditions in Europe.
The military however sent about two dozen middle ranking officers to be deployed as observers under the UN mission.
Feisal in his farewell speech said Indonesia felt obliged to send the medical detachment because of its commitment to the Non- Aligned Movement (NAM) which it currently chairs.
He recalled that Indonesia and Yugoslavia, which also helped found the NAM, enjoyed long and fruitful relations.
"It's normal if we now feel concerned at the calamity now befalling this nation," he said.
He stressed that the mission of the contingent members is chiefly humanitarian in nature. "The (UN) operation which had focused on easing the conflict is now shifting towards restoring normalcy in the field."
Feisal stressed the need for detachment members to maintain the good name of Indonesia and also of ABRI while they are on duty in Bosnia.
He said Indonesia had been asked to join the UN operation precisely because of its past record in similar peacekeeping missions.
Those previous missions, all under the Garuda contingent banner, include Somalia and Cambodia.
Also bidding farewell to the contingent members at ABRI headquarters yesterday were Army Chief of Staff Gen. Wismoyo Arismunandar, Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Tanto Koeswanto and Air Force Chief of Staff Marshal Rilo Pambudi. (emb)