ID :
97034
Mon, 12/28/2009 - 02:40
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/97034
The shortlink copeid
Year-ender: RI TROOPS IN LEBANON MODEL TO OTHER UN PEACE-KEEPERS
BY Eliswan Azly
Jakarta, Dec 27 (ANTARA) - The rising image of Indonesian troops in conducting their task as part of the UN peace-keeping force in Lebanon became a model to peace-keepers from other countries in the war-torn country in the year 2009.
Indonesian Ambassador to Lebanon Bagas Hapsoro in an interview in Adhshit Al Qusyair, Lebanon, in April said the performance and behavior of members of the Indonesian contingent were cited as a positive model to contingents from other countries taking part in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
"The Indonesian military contingent in Lebanon projected a good image, especially after the arrival of the maritime task force (MTF) on board the Indonesian warship KRI Diponegoro. Thereby, the image of Indonesia and its military was also boosted," he said.
Through all kinds of achievements, the Indonesian contingent in UNIFIL also won the respect and acceptance of the local population.
"I should express my high pride over the performance of the Indonesian contingent during their services in carrying out UNIFIL's mission," he said.
In the meantime, the commander of UNIFIL, Major General Claudio Graziano, said the Indonesian infantry reinforcements had made Indonesia one of the important pillars of the UN mission in Lebanon.
Speaking at a one-day seminar on Indonesia's participation in the UN peace-keeping force in Lebanon in Beirut on Monday (April 20), he mentioned the great contribution Indonesia had made to the UN mission in Lebanon.
"Since its involvement in November 2007, the Indonesian military contingent in the UN peace keeping mission in Lebanon, including its military police contingent in Eastern Lebanon, had contributed a great deal to peace keeping operations in Lebanon," Graziano said.
Not to mention the presence of Indonesian special forces grouped in the Force Headquarters Support Unit (FHQSU) of UNIFIL, responsible for security, logistics and administrative affairs of all UNIFIL members, he added.
Not only that, Indonesia also demonstrated its commitment to bring about peace in Lebanon by sending one of its SIGMA corvettes to join the Maritime Task Force (MTF) of UNIFIL along with five other countries, France, Germany, Greece, Turkey and Belgium.
Indonesia was seen as having made many breakthroughs to become more acceptable to the people of Southern Lebanon, such as by way of humanitarian activities covering the local population.
Anyway, good interaction with the local population had become an important key to the success of the UN mission in Lebanon, Graziano said.
The number of Indonesian troops in Lebanon which currently stands at 1,245 will be increased to 2,000 this year, director of international security at the Indonesian Foreign Ministry Fikry Cassid said.
However, the number of Indonesian troops in the UN peace-keeping force assigned in four regions such as Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa is 1,526.
He said Indonesia was one of the countries having a big number of troops in the UN missions.
"In 2009, we plan to raise the number of military troops to 2,000," he said, adding that the plan will have to be reconsidered in view of the global economic crisis.
However, according to Friky, the participation of Indonesia in UN peacekeeping missions was aimed at strengthening multilateral cooperation to settle conflicts.
The participation was based on the free-and-active foreign policy laid down in the 1945 constitution and besides, the presence of Indonesian troops was also designed to help improve the capability and professionalism of military and police personnel, he said.
As to the UN mission in Lebanon, the assignment of Indonesian maritime personnel to UNIFIL really indicated that Indonesia was committed to keeping world peace on the basis of its free-and-active foreign policy, Fikry said.
As a matter of fact, what has made the presence of Indonesian troops in Lebanon is so popular?
Since a battalion of Indonesian troops was sent to Lebanon, the battalion has become popularly known as INDO Batt and they are under the coordination of the UNIFIL. They have been conducting their peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, mainly around the country's troubled southern Beirut area.
Only within a few months, a wide variety of activities had been performed by Indonesian troops. They continued to help the Lebanon Armed Forces (LAF) manage border security affairs with Israel and they focused everyday on providing assistance to the war-affected southern Lebanese people.
"It is a tough job for Indonesian soldiers. They must master strategic war and defense skills, including negotiations, and they must develop an appropriate knowledge of psychology," said Abdul Mun'im Ritonga, an official with the Indonesian Foreign Ministry's Directorate for the Middle East attached to the force.
Despite their independent and neutral position on the still-tense Israel-Lebanon border, Indonesian troops must always be ready to defend themselves against any possible armed attack.
They could become trapped in the middle of a conflict between the neighboring nations, especially between Israeli forces and Lebanon's militia, Hezbollah.
They must have basic negotiation or diplomatic skills, because everyday they deal with border issues and disputes.
But for more complicated diplomatic issues during the mission, Indonesian peacekeepers rely on Abdul Mun'im Ritonga, "I help with the diplomatic tasks of the Indonesian peacekeeping force ... and I give some advice on international relations."
The TNI soldiers' involvement in the Middle East has not always been easy. Obvious language barriers add to the task, but so too does the stigma of many peacekeeping missions before them.
The civic mission and better approach to the local population combined with the main task in the field have been an attractive magnet to the Lebanese people in the war-torn zone, Ritonga said.
Jakarta, Dec 27 (ANTARA) - The rising image of Indonesian troops in conducting their task as part of the UN peace-keeping force in Lebanon became a model to peace-keepers from other countries in the war-torn country in the year 2009.
Indonesian Ambassador to Lebanon Bagas Hapsoro in an interview in Adhshit Al Qusyair, Lebanon, in April said the performance and behavior of members of the Indonesian contingent were cited as a positive model to contingents from other countries taking part in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
"The Indonesian military contingent in Lebanon projected a good image, especially after the arrival of the maritime task force (MTF) on board the Indonesian warship KRI Diponegoro. Thereby, the image of Indonesia and its military was also boosted," he said.
Through all kinds of achievements, the Indonesian contingent in UNIFIL also won the respect and acceptance of the local population.
"I should express my high pride over the performance of the Indonesian contingent during their services in carrying out UNIFIL's mission," he said.
In the meantime, the commander of UNIFIL, Major General Claudio Graziano, said the Indonesian infantry reinforcements had made Indonesia one of the important pillars of the UN mission in Lebanon.
Speaking at a one-day seminar on Indonesia's participation in the UN peace-keeping force in Lebanon in Beirut on Monday (April 20), he mentioned the great contribution Indonesia had made to the UN mission in Lebanon.
"Since its involvement in November 2007, the Indonesian military contingent in the UN peace keeping mission in Lebanon, including its military police contingent in Eastern Lebanon, had contributed a great deal to peace keeping operations in Lebanon," Graziano said.
Not to mention the presence of Indonesian special forces grouped in the Force Headquarters Support Unit (FHQSU) of UNIFIL, responsible for security, logistics and administrative affairs of all UNIFIL members, he added.
Not only that, Indonesia also demonstrated its commitment to bring about peace in Lebanon by sending one of its SIGMA corvettes to join the Maritime Task Force (MTF) of UNIFIL along with five other countries, France, Germany, Greece, Turkey and Belgium.
Indonesia was seen as having made many breakthroughs to become more acceptable to the people of Southern Lebanon, such as by way of humanitarian activities covering the local population.
Anyway, good interaction with the local population had become an important key to the success of the UN mission in Lebanon, Graziano said.
The number of Indonesian troops in Lebanon which currently stands at 1,245 will be increased to 2,000 this year, director of international security at the Indonesian Foreign Ministry Fikry Cassid said.
However, the number of Indonesian troops in the UN peace-keeping force assigned in four regions such as Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa is 1,526.
He said Indonesia was one of the countries having a big number of troops in the UN missions.
"In 2009, we plan to raise the number of military troops to 2,000," he said, adding that the plan will have to be reconsidered in view of the global economic crisis.
However, according to Friky, the participation of Indonesia in UN peacekeeping missions was aimed at strengthening multilateral cooperation to settle conflicts.
The participation was based on the free-and-active foreign policy laid down in the 1945 constitution and besides, the presence of Indonesian troops was also designed to help improve the capability and professionalism of military and police personnel, he said.
As to the UN mission in Lebanon, the assignment of Indonesian maritime personnel to UNIFIL really indicated that Indonesia was committed to keeping world peace on the basis of its free-and-active foreign policy, Fikry said.
As a matter of fact, what has made the presence of Indonesian troops in Lebanon is so popular?
Since a battalion of Indonesian troops was sent to Lebanon, the battalion has become popularly known as INDO Batt and they are under the coordination of the UNIFIL. They have been conducting their peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, mainly around the country's troubled southern Beirut area.
Only within a few months, a wide variety of activities had been performed by Indonesian troops. They continued to help the Lebanon Armed Forces (LAF) manage border security affairs with Israel and they focused everyday on providing assistance to the war-affected southern Lebanese people.
"It is a tough job for Indonesian soldiers. They must master strategic war and defense skills, including negotiations, and they must develop an appropriate knowledge of psychology," said Abdul Mun'im Ritonga, an official with the Indonesian Foreign Ministry's Directorate for the Middle East attached to the force.
Despite their independent and neutral position on the still-tense Israel-Lebanon border, Indonesian troops must always be ready to defend themselves against any possible armed attack.
They could become trapped in the middle of a conflict between the neighboring nations, especially between Israeli forces and Lebanon's militia, Hezbollah.
They must have basic negotiation or diplomatic skills, because everyday they deal with border issues and disputes.
But for more complicated diplomatic issues during the mission, Indonesian peacekeepers rely on Abdul Mun'im Ritonga, "I help with the diplomatic tasks of the Indonesian peacekeeping force ... and I give some advice on international relations."
The TNI soldiers' involvement in the Middle East has not always been easy. Obvious language barriers add to the task, but so too does the stigma of many peacekeeping missions before them.
The civic mission and better approach to the local population combined with the main task in the field have been an attractive magnet to the Lebanese people in the war-torn zone, Ritonga said.
