KPP HAM to summon military officials again

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights Violations (KPP HAM) will re-issue summonses to former military and police generals believed to have been involved in the Trisakti, Semanggi I, and Semanggi II killings, Albert Hasibuan, the commission's chairman, said on Tuesday.

The summonses were sent a second time because the generals had earlier ignored the summonses on the grounds that KPP HAM was not recognized as a legal body under Indonesian law, Albert said.

Last week, however, the Central Jakarta District Court voted to recognize the existence of the KPP HAM.

The inquiry team is in charge of investigating the May 12, 1998 shooting of demonstrators at Trisakti University, West Jakarta, and at similar incidents at the Semanggi flyover in South Jakarta which claimed 13 lives in November 1998, and in September 1999.

The 11-member KPP HAM was established by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) on Aug. 27, 2001.

Albert said that KPP HAM would submit to Komnas HAM at a meeting on Wednesday progress reports in its investigation of high-profile cases.

He said that KPP HAM would issue summonses again to the former high-ranking officials, including former Armed Forces chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto on Thursday for questioning the following Tuesday.

"Should they reject our summonses, we will force them, through our subpoena rights" to appear, said Albert.

Albert expressed confidence that Komnas HAM would extend KPP HAM's working period, which was due on Wednesday, for an additional 90 days.

Komnas HAM initially planned to meet on Monday, but decided to postpone its meeting to Wednesday because Usman Hamid, KPP HAM's secretary general, was ill.

Albert said that Komnas HAM chairman Djoko Sugianto agreed with the extension plan to help complete questioning military and police officials and generals believed to have been involved in the human rights violations from 1998 to 1999.

"The enforcement of human rights is the main responsibility of Komnas HAM. Besides, KPP HAM needs another 90 days to complete its investigation on the violations of human rights in Trisakti, Semanggi I and II killings," Albert told reporters at the Komnas HAM headquarters.

"So far, we have collected information from eyewitnesses, including students and other victims -- but not from the military and police generals," he said.