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