Military Command discharges 38 soldiers for crimes, desertion

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara

A military command here has dishonorably discharged 38 soldiers for desertion, various crimes and moral violations, an Army officer said in the East Nusa Tenggara capital of Kupang.

The soldiers were discharged after being found guilty of violations by a military court in Kupang, said Col. Moeswarno Moesanip, chief of the Wirasakti Military Command overseeing the province of East Nusa Tenggara.

"The severe punishments will serve as a wake-up call for others (Army personnel), in order that they can avoid similar mistakes in the future," Moeswarno said on Monday.

Having imposed the punishments, Moeswarno hopes incidents of indiscipline among soldiers under his command will be reduced, improving the image of the military in the eyes of the public.

Moeswarno said the 38 discharged soldiers were among 63 Army personnel prosecuted by the Kupang Military Court over the last three months.

Of the 63 personnel, 38 were found guilty and the remaining 25 were acquitted, he said.

He said the 38 soldiers who were dishonorably discharged would also have to serve any jail sentences they received from the military court.

He said some 21 of the 38 discharged soldiers had received jail sentences from the court.

Some of these 21 soldiers are still at large and the Kupang Military Command has established a team to track them down and bring them to justice, Moeswarno said.