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United
Nations Military Observer, CMDR Steve McCarey with unexploded
ordnance found near WWII Japanese wreckage. This wreckage
was found in CMDR McCarey’s sector and may be an indicator
of many potential Japanese war graves.
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While
world focus has been on our deployed personnel in The Gulf, the
RAN still has many personnel deployed as part of the United Nations
Mission In Support of East Timor (UNMISET).
One
of these is CMDR Steve McCarey, who is currently serving as a
UN Military Observer (UNMO). The role of the UNMO is to observe,
monitor and report impartially on all activities to the Force
Commander, whether military or civil, that may effect the UN mission
of support in East Timor.
In
undertaking these duties, UNMOs are unarmed so as to provide a
less threatening military presence in their bid to gather information
and facilitate meetings or conflict resolution between the various
parties involved, in this case, between East and West Timor. To
achieve their mission in East Timor, UNMOs move on both sides
of the Tactical Coordination Line (TCL - border) under the protection
of the UN Peace Keeping Force (PKF) and Indonesian Armed Forces
(TNI).
In
an ideal world UNMOs enjoy multiple protective measures, however,
this is not the case in every instance, with the UNMOs sometimes
finding themselves isolated in high risk situations.
Within
his sector, CMDR McCarey, works with another LTCOL(E) (Senior
Sector Military Observer) in operationally and administratively
managing a Sector HQ and five Junction Points, covering 95km of
TCL, with a total of 17UNMOs of MAJ(E) and CAPT(E) rank from no
less than eleven different countries. Such a diverse multi-national
mix of military is quite the norm for UNMO operations for not
only East Timor, but for all UN operations throughout the world.
Of
some historical interest and significance was the work of CMDR
McCarey in investigating WWII Japanese ship wreckage found on
a beach within his sector.
The
significant issue uncovered in this investigation was the real
potential for forgotten Japanese war graves to still remain in
close proximity to the wreckage. Indeed, CMDR McCarey’s report,
identified what appeared to be human remains in one of two potential
burial sites. Old 70mm infantry gun ordnance was also uncovered
within the same area as the wreckage, thrown from the ship when
it suffered a catastrophic explosion during the attack.
CMDR
McCarey has served the last five months in the Oecussi Enclave
and is now preparing to end his six month mission.
