Soldiers without any assignment?

Soldiers without any assignment?

From Suara Karya

A commander of a regional military command has said that to cope with the turmoil triggering disintegration in a number of regions, violence and military force cannot be resorted to. He said that military force could be used previously because problems of human rights and democracy had not emerged and also because there were soldiers without any assignment.

This opinion does not seem realistic and does not fit the reality. As far as I know, anywhere under the sun, separatist movements resorting to armed rebellion will also be countered with military force. Britain and Sri Lanka have done likewise despite the echoes of human rights and democracy.

It is my hope that the statement that soldiers without any assignment have been sent to crush a separatist movement is only a slip of the tongue. It seems ironic that soldiers that go to the battlefield in high spirits in defense of their country are said to be soldiers without any assignment. Many of them are killed in action or become disabled. Some are lucky to be able to return to their families intact. So, if the statement is correct, soldiers who have been killed in action or become disabled should be pitied. Rather than having nothing else to do, they give up their lives. Hopefully the commander's opinion is not right.

ENDANG HARTATI

Banyumas, Central Java