Nobody seems to be suggesting a large force.
Diplomats insist that China would veto a fully fledged force and that Asian countries such as Malaysia would be unhappy. Australia said yesterday even its proposal to the United Nations to send a small peacekeeping force had drawn Indonesian objections. In New York yesterday the UN spokesman, Fred Eckhard, said that a small unit such as Australia has proposed could be put together quickly if the security council agreed. Among the Jakarta public, concern at the effect on Indonesia's image is offset by resentment of foreign criticism. The investment is not just economic but also human.