Indonesia blasts UN, NATO over slow action in Bosnia

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia attacked the United Nations and NATO yesterday for their hesitance to take firm actions against the Bosnian Serbs, who violated a peace accord by attacking the Moslem enclave of Gorazde.

Indonesia, as chairman of the 110-member Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), deeply regretted the violation and is stepping up efforts to free six Indonesian peacekeepers currently being held hostage by Serbian forces, Foreign Minister Ali Alatas said yesterday.

"We continue to make contact with the commander of the United Nations Protection Force in Bosnia as well as the UN high officials in New York. According to the reports we received the six soldiers have been well treated," Alatas told journalists moments after he accompanied his Iraqi counterpart, Mohammad Sa'id Al-sahaf in a meeting with President Soeharto.

"The United Nations and NATO seemed to be reluctant," to take action, Alatas said.

According to him, both NATO and the UN had earlier promised to take firm measures against the Serbs and to use air raids to protect the UN peacekeeping mission in troubled Bosnia- Herzegovina.

Alatas said that despite the efforts, the foreign ministry had no knowledge of current developments on the Indonesian peacekeepers. "We hope that they will be released soon."

He added, however, that Indonesia, through its embassy in Belgrade, had also asked the Yugoslavian government to help settle the release of the six Indonesian troops in its talks with both the Serbian and the Bosnian factions.

He said both the UN special envoy Yasushi Akashi and the UNPROFOR commander, Lt. Gen. Michael Rose, were still discussing the problems with Serbia.

Alatas did not specify the names of the six Indonesian peacekeepers, but the Antara news agency, in its report from New York and released on Sunday, said that five Indonesian members of UNPROFOR -- Sugardo, Toto, Ujianto Dwi, Sumardi Didi and Didi Mujidi -- are being held by Serbian forces. (ego)