147 AWOL soldiers arrested in S. Sulawesi

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)