Generals still defiant about KPP HAM summons

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Former Armed Forces chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto and former National Police chief Gen. Roesmanhadi are maintaining their resistance to answering summonses to testify at an inquiry into three high-profile incidents in 1998 and 1999.

But unlike Wiranto who was unresponsive, Roesmanhadi, through his lawyers, gave prior notice to the Commission of Inquiry into Human Rights Violations (KPP HAM) probing the incidents, saying he would not bow to the summons because he did not recognize the existence of the inquiry.

The Central Jakarta District Court has ruled that the inquiry is legitimate and has the right to summon security officers involved in the bloodshed, which took place at Trisakti University in May 1998, and in Semanggi in November 1998 and September 1999.

KPP HAM issued new summonses at the request of the court. The first summons sent to the two retired generals was dated Feb. 26.

In his notice, Roesmanhadi insisted that the inquiry be disbanded.

"Our client will not comply with the commission's summons before the dispute between the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the military/police as to the inquiry's legitimacy has been resolved," stated the letter, which was signed by Roesmanhadi's lawyers, M. Sholeh Amin and Edy Kurniawan.

KPP HAM member Munarman from the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute Foundation (YLBHI) said the former police chief gave reasons that were not based on the facts.

He maintained that the House of Representatives special committee that probed the incidents had nothing to do with the House's authority to recommend an ad hoc trial for past atrocities as stipulated by Law No. 26/2000 on human rights tribunals.

The House, according to Munarman, recommended that the ongoing military trial of the suspects in the Trisakti shooting continue.

He said that KPP HAM would serve new summonses on both Wiranto and Roesmanhadi.

The inquiry is hoping that three other witnesses will appear on Wednesday, including former Jakarta Police chief Comr. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman, another former Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Hamami Nata and former Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, who has just been installed as the Indonesian Military (TNI)'s spokesman.

KPP HAM is investigating the shooting of four Trisakti University students during a demonstration on May 12, 1998, which led to the fall of the Soeharto regime, and two incidents near the Semanggi cloverleaf on Nov. 13, 1998 and on Sept. 24, 1999 respectively, in which dozens of students and residents were killed.

Set up by Komnas HAM, the inquiry has been working for seven months. Komnas HAM has extended its remit for another month until March 27.