RI withdraws troops from Bosnia, Croatia
RI withdraws troops from Bosnia, Croatia
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia has begun withdrawing troops from
Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia following the deployment of NATO
troops to replace UN peacekeeping forces in the former Yugoslav
republics.
Armed Forces (ABRI) chief spokesman Brig. Gen. Suwarno
Adiwijoyo told journalists yesterday that the first group,
consisting of 30 officers from the medical battalion, returned
home last week. Others will follow in the coming weeks, with the
last one expected in February, he said.
Indonesia has stationed one medical battalion and one army
engineer battalion in Bosnia and Croatia, both as part of the UN
peacekeeping mission.
"Given that the UN peacekeeping force's tasks in that country
are finished, all our troops will be pulled out," Suwarno said.
He said the Indonesian decision to pull out had nothing
whatsoever to do with Portuguese opposition to any Indonesian
role within NATO forces.
Indonesian officials said they were puzzled by the Portuguese
remarks given that there was never any intention of Indonesia
taking part in any NATO activities in the first place.
Suwarno said some 30 Indonesian officers posted as UN military
observers will stay in Bosnia and Croatia to observe the
implementation of the treaty signed by warring parties in the
United States two weeks ago.
Besides Bosnia and Croatia, Indonesia currently has a number
of officers serving as UN military observers in Kuwait, Somalia
and the Philippines.
Suwarno, during a media briefing at ABRI headquarters in
Cilangkap, said that the year has seen a reaffirmation of the
military's intention to take a backseat in politics and let
civilian forces take the initiative.
The military's dual function concept allows it to play a role
in politics as well as its traditional role in defense and
security.
Suwarno described ABRI's willingness to cut the number of its
representatives in the House of Representatives from 100 to 75
starting in 1997 as a reaffirmation of the principle of tut wuri
handayani. The term refers to a Javanese phrase meaning "to
influence and induce others from behind", a concept used to
describe how ABRI should play its political role now, compared to
its previous actions.
"ABRI is ready to give up 25 of its seats because of the
better political condition and democratic system in the country,"
he said.
The Coordinating Board for Support of National Stability
(Bakorstanas), rather than ABRI, will now take most of the
initiative for internal security, he said.
Although the board is led by Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal
Tanjung, it also involves civilian leaders from the government
and the community.
"This is very important to emphasize because the board has
been found effective in helping to solve problems that threaten
security and order in the country," he said.
He underlined that Bakorstanas and its chapters in the
province are not military agencies as wrongly perceived by many
parties. (rms)