T

he Indonesian Military (TNI) will review leadership in the force on account of a high number of desertion cases last year.

The military'€™s information center reported 865 soldiers abandoned their duties in 2013 while the number had increased to 927 soldiers as of September last year.

TNI commander Gen. Moeldoko acknowledged the increasing number of deserters in his institution, saying he would try to find the root cause and resolve the issue.

'€œWhen I was the commander of a military command [Korem], one of my subordinates abandoned his duties and I asked [him] why. Pressure and feeling unprepared were the main reasons,'€ Moeldoko told reporters after a ceremony at TNI headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta on Tuesday.

TNI spokesperson Maj. Gen. Maliki Mufti said another reason soldiers abandoned their posts was to avoid punishment for misconduct.

'€œIn some cases, soldiers abandon their duties because of family matters,'€ Maliki said.

The missing soldiers will be placed on the military police'€™s most wanted list (DPO) so that military police officers nationwide can help search for them.

Moeldoko said strong leadership was important to prevent desertion and promote good ties between commanders and soldiers.

'€œWe have to evaluate the leaders. I admit there is a problem,'€ the military chief said, criticizing young commanders for being more interested in technology and environmental influences rather than taking care of their soldiers.

Besides the rising number of military desertion cases, the military police also revealed other violations committed by soldiers.

Maliki said the number of cases involving narcotics and torture had dropped as of September 2014.

Tuesday'€™s ceremony, held to remind soldiers to remain disciplined, was attended by 1,052 military personnel.

Gen. Moeldoko also encouraged the soldiers to cooperate with the police.

'€œThe police and military are respected institutions. I won'€™t tolerate anymore disputes,'€ he said.

It was reported the TNI had imposed sanctions on 100 soldiers from the 134 Tuah Sakti infantry batallion in Batam, Riau Islands, for attacking the police'€™s Mobile Brigade (Brimob) headquarters on Nov. 19 last year.

The soldiers will be dispatched to various regions in the eastern part of the country as part of their punishment and to deter other troops from committing such a serious breach of military discipline in the future.

'€œWe have to evaluate the leaders. I admit there is a problem.'€