Generals ignore summons

JAKARTA: Military generals ignored a summons from the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to clarify their possible involvement in the 1998 May riots.

Komnas HAM deputy chairman Salahuddin Wahid said on Friday that the lawyers for the generals had sent a letter informing the commission that they would ignore the summons.

"They said that they refused to respond to the summons as there had been no confirmation yet if the case would be tried as a human rights tribunal," he said from his office.

Komnas HAM had yet to respond to the lawyers' letter.

The commission had summoned, among others, Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto, Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Lt. Gen. Sudi Silalahi, to clarify their alleged role into the riots in the city, which claimed hundreds of lives and were marred with countless cases of human rights violations. -- JP