25 quizzed over attack in S. Sulawesi<\/p>\n
Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post\/Makassar<\/p>\n
The Wirabuana Military Command is still questioning 25 soldiers
\naccused of being responsible for attacking and looting houses in
\na remote subdistrict in South Sulawesi at dawn on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"Some ninety of them have been questioned and of the 90, we
\nare still questioning 25. We believe these 25 were directly
\ninvolved in the attack,\" said Maj. Gen. Arief Budi Sampurno, the
\nchief of the Wirabuana Military Command, which oversees military
\naffairs in South Sulawesi province.<\/p>\n
The two-star general said that if found guilty, they would
\nface various punishments, of which the most lenient were
\nadministrative sanctions, such as deferred promotion, while the
\nharshest punishment was dishonorable discharge.<\/p>\n
There was also a possibility that the soldiers involved would
\nface criminal prosecution in the local district court, he said.<\/p>\n
Arief again apologized for the attack, saying it was
\nintolerable.<\/p>\n
\"Although they had strong reasons, the attack was wrong. They
\nare trained to attack the enemies of the state and not the people,\" said
\nArief.<\/p>\n
During a media conference, Arief also urged the police to
\nidentify the civilians believed to have attacked First Pvt.
\nHaerudin after a traffic accident in Banri Manurung subdistrict,
\nJeneponto regency, South Sulawesi. It has been reported that it
\nwas this attack that spurred the soldiers to launch an all-out
\nassault of civilian property.<\/p>\n
The general rejected reports that soldiers had gone on an orgy
\nof looting, including stealing 17 sacks of rice earmarked for the
\npoor that were stored in a house in the subdistrict. The Army did
\nnot suffer from a shortage of food, he argued. He added that the
\nWirabuana Military Command had sent troops into the affected
\nsubdistricts to repair the houses wrecked in the early morning
\nattack.<\/p>\n
According to information supplied by the military, 52 houses
\nwere damaged in the attack. However, the local governments say 82
\nhouses were wrecked in a number of hamlets in Banri Manurung
\nvillage, some 80 kilometers south of Makassar city, where the
\nWirabuana Military Command is based. Besides damage to property,
\nfive residents and a police officer were injured in the
\npandemonium.<\/p>\n
The incident has dealt a major blow to the prestige of the
\nIndonesian Military (TNI), which has been trying hard to restore
\nits battered image. The military has long been the target of
\npublic criticism for its poor human rights record.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/25-quizzed-over-attack-in-s-sulawesi-1447893297",
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