JP/8/KAPEPE

JP/8/KAPEPE

Reluctant security chiefs to be summoned again

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

The Commission of Inquiry into Human Rights Violations (KPP HAM)
probing the Trisakti, Semanggi I and Semanggi II killings has
been extended by one month to allow reluctant military and police
generals time to decide if they will attend.

The decision was made during a three-and-a-half hour meeting
at the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM)
headquarters in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Set up by Komnas HAM in July 2001 to investigate the three
separate incidents of the killing of student and civilian
protesters, KPP HAM's working period should have ended on
Wednesday (Feb. 27).

KPP HAM chairman Albert Hasibuan, who is also a Komnas HAM
member, told media on Wednesday that the commission would summon
to the generals to ask them to appear before the inquiry team
next week.

"We will give two chances for the witnesses to appear before
the inquiry team. Should they still refuse to answer the
summonses, Komnas HAM holds the right to use its subpoena rights
to force the witnesses to comply," Albert said.

In a bid to unravel the truth behind the Trisakti, Semanggi I
and Semanggi II killings, KPP HAM summoned a number of military
and police generals, including former military chief Gen.
(retired) Wiranto and former Jakarta military commander Maj. Gen.
Sjafrie Sjamsuddin.

The commission's move, however, was met with strong resistance
from the Indonesian Military (TNI) and Police Headquarters, which
argued that the commission was illegal.

In response the commission sought the Central Jakarta District
Court's opinion on the issue. The court ruled last week that KPP
HAM was legitimate and had the rights to summon the generals.

KPP HAM member Munarman said on Wednesday the generals would
hurt themselves if they squandered the chance to clarify their
involvement since the commission had sufficient preliminary
evidence of gross human rights violations in the incidents.

The commission 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 that
took place at the Semanggi overpass on Nov. 13, 1998 and on Sept.
24, 1999, in which more students and residents were killed.

Meanwhile, two groups claiming to belong to the Society Forum
for Justice (FMK) and Indonesian Youth Axis (PPI) protested at
the Komnas HAM headquarters on Wednesday, demanding that both
Komnas HAM and KPP HAM be disbanded.

PPI member Rahmat Ariyanto said that KPP HAM aimed to
character assassinate certain military generals.