The Jakarta Post, June 19, 2002
Deserters blamed for Maluku strife
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.
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