Indonesia willing to add to Bosnia force
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia announced on Saturday that it is prepared to commit more troops to the United Nations' peacekeeping missions in Bosnia-Herzegovina despite the deteriorating situation in the former Yugoslav republic.
Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung said Indonesia is currently negotiating the dispatch of a battalion of sappers in addition to a medical battalion already stationed in Bosnia.
"It's the risk we have to take," Feisal told reporters when asked about the increasing threat against the lives of UN soldiers from Bosnian Serbs.
"As soldiers, we have to face such a risk. (But) we're going there on a peace mission," he said after a welcome home ceremony for a battalion of army paramedics at the Armed Forces headquarters in Cilangkap.
The 236-member battalion returned home on June 1 after serving eight months with the UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in the former Yugoslavia. It was replaced by another medical battalion of equal size on May 30.
14th Garuda
Indonesian soldiers assigned to the UNPROFOR are under the command of the 14th Garuda contingent. Besides the medical battalion, Indonesia has also sent military and police observers under the Garuda XIV contingent.
Gen. Feisal stressed that the Indonesian troops will not be pulled out of Bosnia as long as they are still required by the United Nations. He added, however, that Indonesia continuously assesses the situation in the field.
He added that the battalion of sappers would be sent in August if current discussions with the United Nations succeeded.
In his address to the recent returnees, Feisal stressed that the country's constitution mandates that Indonesia take an active part in helping promote international peace.
He praised the members of the battalion for their good work in Bosnia and for showing their professionalism and high discipline during their eight month mission.
He said the Garuda Contingent has won the respect of other countries for its contribution to the UN operation in Bosnia. (rms)