Soldiers no better than criminals

IT was shocking to read about our soldiers smashing, ransacking and stealing huge sums of money from the Manu autoport service station.
This bunch of soldiers thinks that wearing camouflaged uniforms give them the right to do anything they wish.
What they fail to realise is that they are no better than the common criminals.
What a shame they ran amok in their uniforms.
This is not the first case and it will not be the last either.
Someone needs to drive the message of discipline and responsibility into their ears.
To start with, how can soldiers get drunk in public places and cause public nuisance?
Unless we are at war, soldiers are not allowed to discharge their weapons indiscriminately.
If our soldiers cannot display and exercise discipline at critical moments, then they should be demoted and made to become security guards in shops and residential areas.
They do not know the meaning of professiona­lism, ethics and discipline.
The owner of the fuel station is suffering for no good reason and the state can be expected to be slapped with another huge compensation bill.
The commanding officer of Taurama barracks should hand over the culprits to the police for investigation or it should institute a court-martial against those responsible.
At the end of the day, no soldier must be accorded immunity.
We all are governed by the same set of laws.
They deserve the ultimate penalty – im­mediate dismissal, a long prison term with the keys thrown away.

 
Gomla Yal
Port Moresby