U.N. Troops

I read with horror and shame about the plight of U.N. troops from the Third World. Being born in Bangladesh, the indignities suffered by the Bangladeshis in the Bosnian pocket of Bihac was particularly distressing to me.

What exactly will the U.N. do in the future to avert such situations? The soldiers from the Third World provide a valuable service to the United Nation’s objective of keeping peace in the world. By treating these soldiers as third-class world citizens the U.N. is not only abrogating its principles of equality in its charter, but risks undermining its credibility in places like Bosnia, where it is absolutely critical to maintain the value of human lives regardless of ethnicity and national origin.

Reforms are urgently needed to better use the hundreds of millions the U.N. spends on peacekeeping. They should start by insisting on equal pay for equal work when working for the U.N., regardless of how much soldiers make in their home countries. Another reform could be the formation of battalions that consist of a mixture of soldiers from various countries.

ISHTIAQ A. CHISTI

Long Beach