S'PORE TO DEPLOY 160 COMBAT PEACEKEEPERS TO EAST TIMOR

Singapore will be deploying a company task force of 160 peacekeepers to East Timor in October, reinforcing the country's contribution to the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET).

This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Dr Tony Tan, on 27 Jul when he visited the company of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) soldiers in training.

The company task force will serve with the Thai Battalion in the south-western district of Kova Lima in East Timor.

For the first time, full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) and Operationally-ready National Servicemen (NSmen) will be deployed as combat peacekeepers. The 10 NSFs and 15 NSmen had volunteered for this mission.

Dr Tan also announced that the United Nations (UN) has appointed Major-General (MAJ-GEN) Tan Huck Gim as Force Commander of the UNMISET Peacekeeping Force.

MAJ-GEN Tan, currently Commander of the 9th Singapore Division, will command over 4,000 peacekeepers from various countries when he assumes this appointment in late August.

The deployment of the company task force and the appointment of MAJ-GEN Tan are the latest in Singapore's continued contributions to the UN in its peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts.