Telly Nathalia, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military, has taken disciplinary action against three of its members after their wives raised doubt on social media over Thursday's attack in Banten on Chief Security Minister Wiranto by an Islamic militant.
Gen. Andika Perkasa, chief of staff of the Indonesian Army, said on Friday that Col. H.S. (Hendi Suhendi), who headed the Kendari Military District Command in Southeast Sulawesi, and Sgt. Z. of the Horse Cavalry Battalion in Bandung, West Java, had been demoted and would be detained for 14 days by Military Police.
He added that their wives would be reported to police for violating the Electronic Information and Transactions Law.
"I have signed an order for Col. H.S. to be released from his post, plus light detention of 14 days. The same applies to Sgt. Z.," the four-star general said.
The Indonesian Air Force meanwhile posted an announcement on its official website on Friday stating that it had removed Chief Warrant Officer Y.N.S., a member of the Military Police stationed at Muljono Air Force Base in Surabaya, East Java, from his post after his wife, F.S., spread negative content on social media.
In a Facebook posting on Thursday, the officer's wife questioned whether the attack on Wiranto may have been staged to distract the public before the inauguration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo for a second term on Oct. 20.
"This is probably only drama created by Wir [Wiranto]... to divert public attention before the inauguration, but if it was a real stabbing, I hope the stabber would be safe from police brutality and the one who was stabbed could go smoothly to his death," she wrote in the post, displayed on the Air Force's website.
The Air Force has reported her to the Sidoarjo Police for spreading hate speech and false information.
Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said earlier this year that about 3 percent of the country's military personnel may have been radicalized based on religion.