Reference centre for armed forces in region
KUALA LUMPUR: The Regional Centre for Military and International Humanitarian Law located at the National Defence University of Malaysia (NDUM) is set to become the first-of-its-kind reference centre for armed forces in the Asia Pacific region.
The centre, established as a result of partnership between NDUM and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), aims to promote greater understanding and respect for the rule of law in particular the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) among military personnel in the region.
ICRC’s Armed Forces and Security Forces Delegate for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Kirby Abbott, said Malaysia was the preferred location for the centre due to the government’s strong commitment to the lawful conduct in military operations and active role in military training at the Malaysian Peacekeeping Centre (MPC).
The regional centre would not only be a platform for ICRC to assist in training the Malaysian Armed Forces, but would also become the regional reference point to enhance expertise and understanding among military personnel in the Asia Pacific, he said in a recent interview with Bernama.
“We have a partner with strong commitment and spend a lot of resources in developing and ensuring respect for IHL. In terms of logistics, ICRC’s regional headquarters is in Kuala Lumpur and its concentration of expertise is also here. Furthermore, Malaysia is a good air hub connecting the capitals of all other regional military including South Korea, Japan, Thailand, New Zealand and Australia,” he said.
Kirby, who was here for a workshop/seminar on AsiaPacific Law of Armed Conflict at Sea, said that it was crucial to promote greater understanding among the military personnel in the Asia Pacific region on the rule of law, especially the IHL, in all aspects of military affairs, as well as facilitating cooperation among military forces in the region.
These included having a good understanding of law in armed conflict within the military and ensuring those rules were implemented in their training, education, planning and doctrine so that by the time they executed operations, they will fully comply with the IHL, Kirby said.
In this regard, he said that the Malaysian armed forces had done a good job and that the centre will further enhance the forces’ ability to conduct military operations in accordance with applicable laws.
Kirby stressed that greater understanding of the rule of law was a good investment because military forces that conducted itself within the scope of IHL would reduce the number of civilian casualties. If there was non-compliance of such law, the number of casualties and collateral damages, including death to journalists, would intensify, he explained.
Meanwhile, Director of the Regional Centre for Military and International Humanitarian Law, Major Mohd Ramli Othman, said that the collaboration between NDUM and ICRC was mooted two years ago and now has finally been realised.
It is understood that a partnership pact between ICRC and NDUM is expected to be signed next month.
“The centre will not just run courses and programmes but importantly it will enhance knowledge within the armed forces. Our aim is to move this centre further in the international arena, to have more people come and have their legal knowledge and training here,” he said.
Mohd Ramli said that the centre would also disseminate and share information on IHL law with other military personnel from Asia Pacific, a move which will push forward better understanding among armed forces in the region.
IHL is a set of rules that seek to limit the effects of armed conflict. It protects people who are not or are no longer participating in hostilities and restricts the means and methods of warfare. - Bernama