70 enlisted men in E. Java to stand trial
70 enlisted men in E. Java to stand trial
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Seventy military personnel in East Java will be court-martialled
for various violations, a senior officer said on Friday.
Brawijaya East Java Military Police chief Col. Soejono
revealed that the military personnel, who come from all the three
forces in the Indonesian Military (TNI), face charges ranging
from desertion to ordinary crimes.
Soejono said they were arrested in the first three months of
the year. The number, he added, was less than the 78 court-
martialled over the same period last year.
"There were more crimes toward the end of the year, which we
surmise had something to do with year-end needs. Some of the
errant soldiers committed the crimes for money that they needed
to pay off debts," he said as quoted by Antara.
Soejono said desertion topped the violations committed by
enlisted men, with the most common being vehicle theft, illegal
logging and providing protection to gambling dens and brothels.
He acknowledged that the crimes were related to socioeconomic
problems. Other crimes were sparked by love affairs and family
disputes.
"The problems made them reluctant to report for duty or see
their commander. After they failed to turn up for so long, their
commander considered them deserters," he said.
Soejono said desertion was the most serious violation in the
military. "There are so many rules in the military. It's hard to
be an enlisted man," he said.
He said a deserter could lose his pay.
Soejono said that suspending a soldier's pay was always a
dilemma for the TNI leadership because the punishment would
adversely affect the family of a military member. The sanction is
decided by the TNI chief.
Soejono claimed that wives played a pivotal role in curbing
crime involving military personnel, because they could encourage
their husbands to comply with the rules.
"In every meeting with wives of our personnel, we ask them to
give their husbands a moral boost to maintain the high standard
of military discipline," he said.