The Jakarta Post, 8/3/2004 12:51:46 PM
Military discharges 56 soldiers over violations in Maluku
JAKARTA(AFP): The Indonesian armed forces have discharged 56 soldiers in the
restive province of Maluku for indiscipline and other violations, the military there said
Tuesday.
Of the 56, 12 had already been convicted by the courts while the remaining 44 had
deserted their ranks and their whereabouts remain unknown, Maluku military
spokesman Major Paiman told AFP.
The dismissals were carried out during a ceremony in Ambon, the capital of the
eastern province of Maluku, he said.
Paiman did not say if any of the violations were related to a wave of communal
clashes between Muslims and Christians that erupted in Ambon in January 1999 and
left over 5,000 people dead.
During the 1999-2002 conflict some military and police units were accused of bias
either toward Muslims or Christians.
In the worst violence since that time, at least 38 people died in April after a banned
parade by separatists sparked violence. Muslims saw the parade as provocative even
though separatists make up only a small percentage of the local Christian population.
(*)
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