147 AWOL soldiers arrested in S. Sulawesi

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): A total of 147 personnel of various detachments from the Wirabuana Military Command posted in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, have been arrested by military police for being absent without leave (AWOL).

All 147 were apprehended on Friday as they disembarked at Bajoe seaport in Bone, some 120 kilometers from Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi.

The soldiers had apparently left their barracks without permission on May 7.

The Wirabuana military command oversees the Central, North, South and Southeast Sulawesi provinces.

The reasons for the mass desertions remain unclear and senior military officers on Tuesday remained reluctant to discuss the case.

Wirabuana military command spokesman Lt. Col. Moeljono only claimed he did not know much about the incident.

"I've just heard about it. I will check it out," Moeljono said.

Chief of the South Sulawesi military police Col. Bambang Wahyudi also refused to comment, saying that this was an internal military matter.

"I can't talk much about it because this incident has yet to be reported to the (Wirabuana) military commander," he said.

The 147 soldiers reportedly came from the air force base, the cavalry unit, the ground artillery and the combat engineers.

Sources said the soldiers went AWOL following the issuance of permits to 150 other fellow soldiers.

There were also unconfirmed reports that the soldiers would soon be deployed to Irian Jaya province for a special mission.

Other sources said that the written permissions had actually been signed by their commanders but not yet distributed.

A source said that as the soldiers believed their request for leave had been ignored, they quietly left their barracks without permission.

After their arrest, the 147 soldiers were put in quarantine at the command center for military training and education in the Pakkatto area of Gowa regency.(27)