KPP HAM to summon military officials again

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.