Military deserters wanted
Military deserters wanted
JAKARTA (JP): City Military Police are looking for 22
deserters as part of efforts to discipline personnel, an officer
said yesterday.
"Initially we recorded 27 deserters. We have arrested five of
them," Col. Imamul Achjar, head of the City Military Police,
said, adding that the number could possibly increase.
Achjar told reporters that the City Military Police have
launched Wibawa Operation, specially designed to discipline
military officials.
The operation, which was launched on April 1 this year, and
will continue through March 1, 1996, involves 160 military police
officers.
Such an operation has actually been a regular program of the
city's military police, but, Achjar said, this year's program was
significant as it is taking place around the time President
Soeharto will launch the national discipline movement on May 20,
1995.
In connection with the national discipline movement, chief of
the city's military, Maj. Gen. Wiranto has ordered his men to
improve the level of their discipline as this is conductive to
the success of the program.
"I hope all military officers in Jakarta will become pioneers
in keeping order and discipline," Wiranto told his personnel.
Despite routine operations held by the military police,
Wiranto acknowledged that military officers still often violate
the law.
He said that included in the violations committed by military
officials are: violations of law, discipline and order, traffic
violations, desertion, involvement in car and motorbike thefts
and misusing firearms.
Achjar disclosed that during the first week of the Wibawa
Operation, military police had found 30 military officers
breaching the law, and confiscated 23 motorcycles and five cars.
The violators will face trial at the military court.
Data at the military police office recorded 921 violations
committed by military officers in 1993, and 591 violations in
1994.
It also recorded that 25 deserters were detained in 1993, and
33 deserters were arrested in 1994. (29)