Two soldiers involved in attack to be quizzed
Two soldiers involved in attack to be quizzed
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Military (TNI) will question two
soldiers over their alleged involvement in an attack on Monday on
a security post in Ambon, the riot-torn capital of Maluku, TNI
Chief Adm. Widodo A.S. said on Thursday.
"I have issued an order for the two officers to be taken to
Jakarta for further investigation," Widodo said here before a
Cabinet meeting as quoted by Antara.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto confirmed that an
Army officer was involved in the Hotel Wijaya incident.
"His name is Maj. Nurdin Nontji. As he has been proven to be
partisan, we will soon impose stern sanctions on him,"
Endriartono said after chairing a closed-door briefing for
Jakarta Military Command personnel here on Thursday.
Endriartono said the joint security force in Maluku was
carrying out the special task of enforcing the civil emergency
there, including detaining any police officers and soldiers who
have deserted their units.
The joint security force, consisting of personnel from the
Navy's marines, the Air Force's Special Force and the Army's
Special Force, arrested 14 police officers and Army soldiers for
their alleged participation in an attack by heavily armed Muslims
on Monday.
The crowd was angry that troops killed four alleged rioters on
Friday and Saturday.
Soldiers responded by firing shots at the attackers, killing
10 people in the fray, which continued until Tuesday.
Five soldiers, including an Army major, were arrested on
Monday, while nine others, including a policewoman and an Army
sergeant, were arrested on Tuesday. The soldiers and policewoman
were arrested following a raid by the joint security force on
Hotel Wijaya II at 5 a.m. on Monday.
The joint security force also seized two SS-1 rifles, four
Luger handguns, an FN pistol, four Colt handguns, a combat knife,
six magazines of ammunition for SS-1 rifles plus two homemade
bombs and two grams of shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) from
the nine suspects.
Meanwhile, a fact-finding team led by the assistant for
intelligence to the TNI chief of general affairs, Brig. Gen.
Zulfahmi, arrived in Ambon on Thursday to investigate the alleged
involvement of the soldiers in the attack.
The team, comprising eight military and police officers, "will
directly go to the field to check on the truth", Pattimura
Military Commander Brig. Gen. I Made Yasa said at his office in
Batu Gajah, Ambon, on Thursday.
"I've asked them to go straight to the field. They don't have
to see me to find out what really happened out there. All the
evidence is valid and available," Yasa said.
He also said the "rioters started the attack on Monday
following takbir akbar (prayer) at several mosques in Ambon at 3
a.m. on Monday".
Not long after the prayers, the joint security force was
attacked from all sides, including from the fish auction hall in
Tantui, the bridge in Batu Merah and Victoria field in Mardika,
The attack continued on Monday night near Bank Mandiri in Mardika
and from Hotel Wijaya II, also in Mardika, Yasa said.
"Therefore I ordered all personnel to defend their position
and gunfights took place because the attackers opened fire on
us."
"If some Muslim leaders are angry and ask me to resign, I'm
ready to die to defend the truth here.
"The lives of my troops are on the line here and we will take
firm action against attackers from any camp," Yasa said.
Meanwhile in the Seram islands, the situation was returning to
normal on Thursday after an attack on the predominantly Christian
village of Hatualang on Wednesday that left an Army soldier dead.
Separately, Indonesian Red Cross chairman Mar'ie Muhammad was
in Ambon on Thursday to open a medical post located between the
warring camps in Paradise Tengah, Ambon.
In Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi, Deputy House
Speaker A.M. Fatwa said the House will meet with Minister of
Defense Mahfud M.D. and the TNI and Nation Police chiefs on Feb.
6 to discuss the handling of violence in Maluku. (edt/49/02/27)