Waging Peace In The Line Of Fire


 
Lt-Col Gobalakrishna (middle) with his army sergeant and driver during their mission in Bosnia.PETALING JAYA: Peacekeeping is not as peaceful as it sounds. Lt-Col Gobalakrishna Govindasamy should know for he has had to negotiate through mines and illegal checkpoints to ferry civilians fleeing conflicts to safety.
Gobalakrishna, who has served as a Malaysian United Nations peacekeeper, remembers his time in Bosnia when peacekeepers were tasked with escorting civilians fleeing conflict zones.
“Once, when I was with other Malaysian peacekeepers escorting a humanitarian convoy from Tarcin to Visoko, mines were placed on the road in front of the convoy to delay us.
“As the escorting troop, we had to negotiate a path to get the convoy through safely, and we did.”
A humanitarian convoy in Bosnia escorting civilians fleeing conflict zones.The Malaysian battalion of peacekeepers, also known as MALBATT, was well known in Bosnia and so they generally did not have much trouble. He said it took time, but MALBATT managed to establish good rapport and a level of trust with both Bosnians and Croatians involved in the conflict.
Gobalakrishna described peacekeepers on the frontlines as the “only thing standing between those directly involved in the war and the victims”.
“Civilians are often casualties of war and as a UN peacekeeper, part of our mandate is to get them out of the line of fire,” he told FMT in conjunction with International UN Peacekeepers Day.
UN peacekeeping was established after World War II in 1945 as an instrument to help countries torn by conflict create conditions of lasting peace.
UN peacekeepers are deployed voluntarily to protect civilians, prevent conflict, reduce violence, strengthen security and empower national authorities to assume these responsibilities.
Gobalakrishna, an officer of the Royal Armoured Corps, added that Malaysia had been sending troops to conflict zones since the 1960s, with some missions lasting between five and 10 years depending on the severity of the conflict.
He said there were two types of peacekeepers: those who were part of an armed battalion and “individual peacekeepers” or observers comprising volunteers who were sent for unarmed duty to oversee a truce.
Gobalakrishna, 56, has served with the Malaysian armed forces for 36 years.
Lt-Col Gobalakrishna with the Territorial Administrator of Kamina City in the Congo with three other UN military observers.He was deployed on two UN peacekeeping missions, in Bosnia from 1994 to 1995 with the 2nd Royal Armoured Regiment, and from 2003 to 2009 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo when he served with the Army Field Command before being deployed as a military observer.
In Bosnia, Gobalakrishna said his battalion was armed and given the mandate to get involved if need be. “This was not unnatural to me as I was a trained soldier. Plus, I was a young officer at the time, and we were all gung-ho…ready to face anything,” he quipped.
He added: “I was newly married when I was deployed to Bosnia. My wife was afraid because it was at the height of the Bosnian War which was always on the news. But she was a strong woman and had the support of her family while I was away.”
Lt-Col Gobalakrishna with women and children in the Democratic Republic of Congo during his time as a military observer.He volunteered to be an “individual peacekeeper” in the Congo, and served as a military observer after the Second Congo War where he helped civilians deal with the conflict’s aftermath.
“A certain level of maturity was required in handling their grievances. I also had to assist in investigations involving sexual violence against women and children,” he said.
Gobalakrishna, who has three children, said he found the investigations to be challenging, even though he had been trained before being deployed.
He is now the head of research and development at the Malaysian Peacekeeping Centre in Port Dickson, which was established to train soldiers to be UN peacekeepers.
He said Malaysians were able to adapt well to whichever conflict-torn country they were deployed in.
“One thing I’m sure about is that we adapt fast to any surroundings. I chalk it up to our diversity, so going to a country with different cultures and races is not new to us,” he said.
Despite the challenges he faced, Gobalakrishna said the exposure and experience he received as a UN peacekeeper were priceless.
“Every adversity that we face shapes us and allows us to grow and I am grateful for mine,” he said appreciatively. - FMT


Artikel ini hanyalah simpanan cache dari url asal penulis yang berkebarangkalian sudah terlalu lama atau sudah dibuang :

http://malaysiansmustknowthetruth.blogspot.com/2022/05/waging-peace-in-line-of-fire.html

Kempen Promosi dan Iklan
Kami memerlukan jasa baik anda untuk menyokong kempen pengiklanan dalam website kami. Serba sedikit anda telah membantu kami untuk mengekalkan servis percuma aggregating ini kepada semua.

Anda juga boleh memberikan sumbangan anda kepada kami dengan menghubungi kami di sini
Honor Magic4 Pro Production Line Opened To The Public Eye

Honor Magic4 Pro Production Line Opened To The Public Eye

papar berkaitan - pada 18/5/2022 - jumlah : 173 hits
Tech geeks are expected to see a number of industry first technological innovations Prior to the Malaysian launch of the HONOR Magic4 Pro and other countries HONOR has taken a crystal clear approach in revealing its HONOR Intelligent Manufa...
Jewish Trivia The Hebrew Alav Ha Shalom Or Peace Be Upon Him

Jewish Trivia The Hebrew Alav Ha Shalom Or Peace Be Upon Him

papar berkaitan - pada 29/5/2022 - jumlah : 166 hits
Here is some jewish trivia In the Jewish religion they pay due regard to the dead Jewish prophets Whenever the orthodox Jews happen to mention the name of any of their dead prophets they will say alav ha shalom in Hebrew which means Peace b...
Officials Puzzled By Message About Tiger On The Loose In Ampang

Officials Puzzled By Message About Tiger On The Loose In Ampang

papar berkaitan - pada 21/5/2022 - jumlah : 178 hits
The wildlife department says there is a lack of information about the matter PETALING JAYA A viral WhatsApp message about the alleged sighting of a tiger in Ampang has prompted the police to launch a probe Ampang Jaya police chief Farouk Es...
Nantikan Filem The Assistant Lakonan Iedil Dzuhrie Alaudin Dan Hairul Azreen Di Pawagam

Nantikan Filem The Assistant Lakonan Iedil Dzuhrie Alaudin Dan Hairul Azreen Di Pawagam

papar berkaitan - pada 21/5/2022 - jumlah : 250 hits
The Assistant mengangkat kisah Zafik lakonan ledil yang terpaksa merengkuk dalam penjara atas kesalahan yang tidakdilakukannya Selepas hilang segala galanya Zafik bertemu Feroz yang sering muncul pada waktu yang tepat AdakahZafik berjaya me...
Gel Nde Strasse The Dyna Low Rider S Done Two Ways

Gel Nde Strasse The Dyna Low Rider S Done Two Ways

papar berkaitan - pada 21/5/2022 - jumlah : 221 hits
The 2016 model Dyna Low Rider S was the last hurrah for Harley Davidson s beloved The Motor Co was on the cusp of absorbing the Dyna range into their new Milwaukee Eight Softail line and had time to cram in one last variant So they restyled...
We Ll Be Taking Our Zoom Meetings From Bed Today While We Wait For The Weekend

We Ll Be Taking Our Zoom Meetings From Bed Today While We Wait For The Weekend

papar berkaitan - pada 21/5/2022 - jumlah : 298 hits
We ll be taking our zoom meetings from bed today while we wait for the weekend TGIF Credit iamcalledlucas The post appeared first on
Trailer The Winchesters Beri Pandangan Pertama Prekuel Supernatural

Trailer The Winchesters Beri Pandangan Pertama Prekuel Supernatural

papar berkaitan - pada 21/5/2022 - jumlah : 167 hits
The CW telah melancarkan trailer dann poster rasmi unntuk siri prekuel Supernatural The Winchesters yang menampilkan Jensenn Ackles sebagai pencerita Dibintangi Meg Donnelly dan Drake Rodger siri ini akan membuat debut pada tahun ini Treler...
Malaysians Feeling The Pinch As Food Prices Spike

Malaysians Feeling The Pinch As Food Prices Spike

papar berkaitan - pada 21/5/2022 - jumlah : 406 hits
PETALING JAYA Malaysians are staring at more expensive grocery bills with some basic foodstuff in short supply and subject to rapidly soaring prices The country which imports nearly 60 of its food needs is also being affected by high import...
Losing A Public Treasure The Last Fishing Enclave Of Tanjong Tokong

Losing A Public Treasure The Last Fishing Enclave Of Tanjong Tokong

papar berkaitan - pada 22/5/2022 - jumlah : 195 hits
From Wazir Jahan KarimFrom time immemorial the Malay fishermen of Penang have been evicted from their homes along the northeast and southwest shores to make way for prestigious housing projects with paltry compensations and enormous loss of...
Ngo Kebajikan Banyak Membantu Rakyat Malaysia

Pakw Calculator

Remaja Malaysia Dipenjara Seumur Hidup Di Uk Taksub Alat Penukul Dan Pembunuhan

Using Predictive Analytics To Enhance Forex Market Timing For Malaysian Traders

Got Back Pain Time To Straighten Up

Banjir Rakyat Asing Di M Sia Apa Teruk Sangat K Jaan Ni

Speed Read The New Royal Enfield Bear 650 Scrambler And More

Tips Memasak Sayur Supaya Lebih Sedap Dan Berkhasiat


echo '';
Biodata Terkini Penyanyi Illa Sabry Peserta Gegar Vaganza 2024 Musim 11 GV11

Info Dan Sinopsis Drama Berepisod Senyawa iQIYI Malaysia

Info Dan Sinopsis Drama Berepisod Project Projek Exit Astro Originals

Pelajari Asal Usul Nama Makhluk Seram Kisah Fiksyen Barat Yang Terkenal

10 Fakta Filem Kahar Kapla High Council Yang Ramai Tak Tahu Prekuel Drama Project Projek High Council


7 Sunnah Bayi Baru Lahir Hingga Usia 7 Hari

Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas 2024 An Exquisite Showcase Of Design

China S President To Host Official Dinner For Anwar

I Bought A Toy Like Vape Online Mp Tells Dewan Chamber

Drama One Cent Thief 2 Lakonan Syafiq Kyle Azira Shafinaz

Rasa Masakan Korea Soondubu Jigae Beef Di Dubuyo