Tiarma Siboro and Oktovianus Pinontoan, The Jakarta
Post, Jakarta/Ambon
Pattimura (Maluku) military commander and chief of Security
Restoration Operations Maj. Gen. Djoko Santoso has blamed the
prolonged conflict in the Maluku city of Ambon on military
deserters.
Djoko pledged on Tuesday he would soon arrest the perpetrators
in an operation currently under way.
The two-star general further asserted that he would try the
deserters at a military tribunal, because "it violates the
military code of conduct."
"Many have said that some of our troops have deserted from
the military and are supporting certain warring camps there. I
have launched an operation to arrest and investigate my personnel
believed to be deserters.
"Should the allegations be proven, I won't hesitate to try
them at a Military tribunal," Djoko said.
Nevertheless, he refused to reveal more, saying that the
operation had yet to come up with results.
A soldier, Private Hanafi, 28, was charged by a military
tribunal in Ambon with possessing explosives to bomb a Christian
target -- an offence punishable by death.
The tribunal heard that Hanafi was caught last November 30
carrying a home-made bomb, Antara news agency said.
He had been riding pillion on a motorcycle which was stopped by
security forces in the city.
Military prosecutor Major Soenarso was quoted as saying that
the defendant had been promised money to carry the bomb, which was
to be exploded at the Maluku Protestant Church Hospital.
He said Hanafi told the motorbike driver to set off the bomb at
the governor's office after they were stopped near the office.
The bomb did not go off. The driver, Aras Pontororeng, has
escaped.
The trial was adjourned till June 20.
Meanwhile, spokesman of the Pattimura Military Command Maj.
Herry Suhardi said that the local military chief had recently
visited two regencies in Maluku province in an effort to boost
consolidation of troops in the troubled territory.
During his visit to the Central Maluku capital of Masohi over
the weekend, the commander was shown over 1,752 weapons of various
types, handed over voluntarily by various community groups and
collected through raids.
The weapons included 16 standard rifles, 50 homemade rifles, a
Colt pistol, 309 rounds of ammunition, 24 grenades, 21 M-16
magazines, 200 homemade pistols, 158 SS1 bullets, 158 homemade
bazookas, 161 bows, 97 spears, 22 swords, 40 quivers of arrows,
and 502 homemade FN and SP pistols.
