Military Admits Some Favoritism

Indonesia’s military admitted that some of its troops have taken sides in the long-running Christian-Muslim war in the Molucca Islands. Two days after television footage showed Indonesian troops fighting alongside Muslim militants, armed forces spokesman Rear Air Marshal Graito Usodo said, “There are members of Indonesia’s military who act emotionally, either because of their family names or where they come from. This is inevitable, and we admit the existence of these cases.” He said that it was not the armed forces’ policy to favor one side.