Jakarta – Three generals, allegedly involved in quashing a 1984 riot in Jakarta when scores of Muslim militants died, have been identified by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas Ham) and will be summoned for questioning.

Although not named by the commission, newspapers here identified two of them as former vice-president Try Sutrisno and ex-military chief Benny Murdani.

The secretary general of the commission Asmara Nababan has said that the three would be questioned over the incident, when troops opened fire on a crowd of Muslim protesters in North Jakarta, the Republika daily reported.

In the past only two generals had been identified by their initials as being involved in the September 1984 Tanjung Priok riot, allegedly sparked by an inflammatory sermon.

Intelligence personnel attempted to halt the sermon, but trouble quickly flared as rioters began to torch several businesses in the port area, and security forces moved in.

"On March 1999, the Komnas Ham already had a preliminary conclusion on the Tanjung Priok case, that there were human rights violations ... that involved security personnel, three generals," Mr Nababan said. He identified the three generals by their initials: TS, BM and FT last week.

Past press reports had only cited two sets of initials corresponding to former vice-president Try Sutrisno, the then commander of the Jakarta garrison, and Benny Murdani, former head of the armed forces. The identity of the third general was not immediately known.

Gen Murdani, in his official statement on the incident said nine people were killed and 53 were injured. But independent death tolls spoke of more than 100, with reports that there were truckloads of bodies.

Mr Nababan said that if the generals refuse to be questioned, it was empowered by law to seek an injunction from the attorney general's office.

Gen Try said that there is no need for him to be questioned as the incident resulted from military policy at the time and was not the responsibility of a single officer.

Papers have identified two of the three generals involved in the so-called September 1984 Tanjung Priok incident, when troops opened fire on a crowd of Muslim protesters.

They are former Vice-President Try Sutrisno, the then commander of the Jakarta garrison, and former head of the armed forces Benny Murdani. The identity of the third general is not immediately known.