Capt Luke Parnell reads the English version of the service Photo by Cpl Guy Warnock, PKF

Australians join the honour guard for the dead Korean soliders Photo by Cpl Guy Warnock, PKF

Sgt Sharon Jansen and Cpl Shannon Evans pay their respects Photo by Cpl Guy Warnock, PKF

Fallen Koreans mourned in EM

By Cpl Guy Warnock
in Dili

Emotions ran high as over 160 peacekeepers representing some 22 nations gathered into the courtyard of the HQPKF building in Dili on March 12, for a memorial service for four peacekeepers killed recently.

Five soldiers, all members of the Republic of Korea Battalion based in the East Timorese enclave of Oecussi, were swept away in a flash flood while crossing a river ford near Junction Point 2, March 6.
The fifth soldier still remains unaccounted for.

Among the mourners were UN dignitaries, who included the Force Commander Singapore’s Maj-Gen Tan Huck Gim and Secretary General’s Special Representative in East Timor Ambassador Kamalesh Sharma.

Both men laid floral tributes and addressed the gathering.

Soon afterwards, the force commander presented family members of the deceased with their relative’s UN medal for service with UNMISET.

The Prime Minister of East Timor, Dr. Mari Alkatari, and the Commander Falintil – FDTL, Brig-Gen Taur Matan Ruak, also laid floral tributes and when the PM spoke it was of appreciation of the efforts of UN peacekeepers.

Lt-Col John Smith, HQPKF-EM, said the blow was a considerable one for soldiers of any contingent to shoulder.

“The loss of four officers and men, especially that of two company commanders, in such sudden and tragic circumstances has hurt ROKBATT immensely,” he said.

“They continue to work hard at their mission and also the task of locating the missing soldier.

“This incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential dangers that all peacekeepers face operating in the unforgiving environment of East Timor.”

Lt-Col Smith also attended the funerals in South Korea later in the week, as one of three representatives from the PKF.

The soldiers, Maj Park Jin Kyu, Maj Min Byong Jo, Cpl Choi Hee, Cpl Jong Hun and Cpl Kim Jung Joong, who is still missing, had been on their way in two four wheel drive vehicles to repair a generator in a remote border location when the first car stalled on the ford.

As the members of the rear car dismounted and came to their assistance all five were hit by a flash flood.

The sudden surge of water had developed further upstream, caused by some of heavy rain that is common to the region for this time of year.

Eight other peacekeepers have lost their lives while serving with the UN in East Timor since the first fatality on November 3, 1999 – one Irish, five New Zealanders and two Australians.

The pair has a new home waiting for them at Metinaro, where they will become mascots for the East Timor Defence Force.

They will have more space and their handlers will have more access to their pens, with an isolation area to hold the crocodiles while their living area is cleaned.

The Australian Government has built the new facility for the crocodiles as a gift to the people of East Timor.

Antonio and Maria are scheduled to move into their new home in time for Christmas.

The crocodile features in the Timorese creation myth, in which a child saved a baby crocodile that then allowed the child to ride it.

When the crocodile grew too old to swim it stopped and eventually turned into the island of Timor.

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