State must care for soldiers: General

PADANG, West Sumatra: The chief of the Bukit Barisan Military Command, Maj. Gen. IG Purnawa, said the nation should not demand too much of its soldiers as long as their basic needs are not being met.

"It's ridiculous to expect TNI (Indonesian Military) to be professional if the state does not satisfy the needs of its soldiers in carrying out their duties," Purnawa said here on Saturday.

"Apart from their welfare, (soldiers) are also given equipment which is minimal and obsolete, even to the point that we have weapons that fail to fire," he said as quoted by Antara, adding that the state, with the support of the people, must make a commitment to improving the welfare of soldiers. (mds)