General Andika Asks For Physical Health, English And Computer Proficiency Requirements To Be Removed From The Selection Of World Peace Forces To Be Simplified

TNI Commander General Andika Perkasa/Antara

JAKARTA - The TNI Commander General Andika Perkasa asked his staff to facilitate the selection to join the World Peace Task Force (Satgas) or popularly known as the Garuda Contingent in order to provide equal opportunities for all TNI soldiers.

Andika conveyed the instructions after hearing reports from his staff, namely Assistant Operations to the TNI Commander Maj. Gen. Syafruddin and Commander of the Peacekeeping Mission Center (PMPP) Marsma TNI Benedict Benny as broadcast on General TNI Andika Perkasa's Youtube channel which was monitored in Jakarta, Tuesday, March 29.

The TNI Commander asked the Garuda Contingent selection committee to remove several conditions, including physical fitness tests, English language skills, computer skills, driving skills, and mental health tests.

"So, there is no physical fitness (removed from the requirement, ed.), there is no need for health. What is necessary. There is no need for English either," Andika said to his staff as reported by Antara.

He conveyed that English was not too urgent especially for maintenance and training purposes.

"(For example) when I want to train with foreign (soldiers), there is no English test, except for certain officials. Others are not necessary. (If English requirements are applied) then finally those who go there can speak English. Don't , you can't," said Andika.

The TNI Commander also instructed his staff to change the composition of the number of personnel of the Garuda Contingent that was dispatched to conflict areas.

"I want the number needed there to be in accordance with the conditions there so that we know which battalion should be from," said Andika ordering his staff.

Indonesia has sent peacekeepers known as the Garuda Contingent/Garuda Troops to serve under the auspices of the United Nations since 1957.

Egypt became the main destination of the Garuda I contingent in 1957. Then, Indonesia continued to send peacekeepers to Congo, Vietnam, the Middle East/West Asia region, Iran, Iraq, Namibia, Kuwait, Cambodia, Somalia, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1993, Georgia, Mozambique, Philippines, Tajikistan, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Sudan, Lebanon and Nepal.

As of January 2020, there were more than 2,000 members of the Garuda Contingent, consisting of TNI soldiers, members of the National Police, and civilian groups who were dispatched to conflict areas abroad to assist UN peacekeeping missions.