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)