Indonesia on Sunday sent 40 military personnel to join a UN peacekeeping force exercise in Bangladesh, ANTARA reported. The exercise code-named "Shanti Doot-2" was opened by Bangladeshi Air Force Chief of Staff Vice Marshal Zia Rahman at the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT), an institute responsible for handling peace missions, the Indonesian Military (TNI) Headquarters said in a press statement on Monday. The activity which involved 16 Asia-Pacific countries was aimed at improving the skills of each participating country's security personnel in maintaining peace, the statement said. During the exercise, each participant was required to take part in the command post exercise (CPX) and field training exercise (FTX), it said. It said the TNI sent eight middle-ranking officers to take part in the CPX and 32 non-commissioned officers in the FTX. The subject of the exercise was adjusted to the problems faced by personnel assigned in peacekeeping operations, it said. In addition, each participating country also sent its officers as observers and in this case, the TNI was represented by Brig Gen Zahari Siregar, chief of the peacekeeping mission center (PMPP) Col J. Tobing. Indonesia is slated to host such exercise in 2009.
