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Jyoti Malhotra
NEW DELHI, SEPT 16: India is unlikely to send troops to participate in the United Nations-authorised, multinational force for East Timor, because New Delhi does ``not participate in multinational forces as a policy''.
Nevertheless, an active debate on whether or not India should send troops to participate in the Australia-led multinational force -- or even in the small UN contingent that will serve under the Australians -- continues to rage in the Ministry of External Affairs.
One view is that India should refuse to do anything that will embarrass its ``close friend'' Indonesia, especially because it appears that Jakarta has been pressurised by Western nations to allow an outside force to keep the peace in its breakaway republic.
This view is reinforced by the fact that Indonesia today broke off a 1995 security treaty with Australia. Indonesia's Minister for Security Affairs Feisal Tanjung said the decision to abrogate the treaty had been made because of ``the attitude and actions of Australia, whichare no longer consistent with the spirit and letter of the agreement''.
Much before the outside world began to clamour for a peacekeeping force, Australia had announced that it would be willing to send troops to East Timor even without Indonesian consent. Canberra's contribution to the latest multinational force that it will lead is 4,500 troops out of 7,000 troops.
But the contrary view in the Ministry is that since Indonesia has given its consent to the multinational force, India should have no hesitation in being part of it. And if at any point of time in the future Indonesia withdraws consent, then any Indian troops in East Timor should also be immediately lifted out.
Officials pointed out that even China had agreed today to be part of the UN contingent that will serve under the multinational force.
They said that Jakarta had only 10 days ago asked New Delhi to send military observers and civilian police to form part of the UN Assistance Mission for East Timor (UNAMET).
New Delhi sat on thatdecision, consulting friendly nations in South-East Asia on the suitability and mandate of such a decision, until the matter was veritably taken out of its hands. It moved the UN Security Council, where Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas agreed that Jakarta would allow a multinational force to be posted in East Timor, along with Indonesian troops.
The UNAMET was withdrawn last Friday, but now returns as part of the newly-incarnated multinational force.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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