Honor the fallen, complete the mission and never retreat

Three coffins draped in the red-and-white flag arrived at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Saturday evening, carrying the bodies of Capt. Zulmi Aditya Iskandar. Sgt. Muhammad Nur Ichwan and Pvt. First Class Farizal Rhomadhon. The three young Indonesians were killed while serving as United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.

President Prabowo Subianto was there to receive them. The whole country grieved.

Grief is the right response. Anger too. But grief and anger must not drive foreign policy. Since the deaths, prominent voices have called on Jakarta to pull the Garuda Contingent out of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The feeling is completely understandable. However, withdrawing from Lebanon is not the answer. Indonesia must stay and complete the mission.

These three soldiers did not die doing something pointless. They volunteered to serve under the UN flag in one of the most dangerous places on earth. They knew the risks. They went anyway, because they believed that protecting peace is worth the cost.

If Indonesia withdraws in reaction to their deaths, we are essentially saying their sacrifice means nothing. We are saying that Indonesia's commitment to international peace only holds when it is easy and safe.