Chris McCall, Jakarta – Jakarta yesterday finally named a string of top military and police officers among 19 suspects involved in last year's East Timor bloodbath, but received a suspicious response.

Among the names were two of East Timor's previous military commanders under Indonesian rule, plus its last police chief and last governor. But the Attorney-General's investigation team did not name then military chief Wiranto, bringing accusations of a whitewash.

Leading human rights activist Munir said it was an attempt to test the international community's resolve. "I think they are going to try to limit responsibility," said Mr Munir, head of the pressure group, Kontras. "Now a lot depends on the reaction of the international community."

Six former top officials were named as suspects due to their role in overseeing Indonesia's rule of the territory as it degenerated into chaos before and after the August 30 independence vote. A further 13 people were named because of evidence of their involvement in specific incidents.

All but six came from the security forces, while only three were members of the anti-independence militias they supported and used as scapegoats for the bloodshed. The Attorney-General's office said suspects would be questioned next week. Others may be named as suspects later, spokesman Yushar Yahya said."

The incidents studied were the most high profile, although dozens of other killings occurred. Those investigated included two massacres at churches in the towns of Liquica and Suai. Also looked at were attacks on the homes of independence supporter Manuel Carrascalao and spiritual leader Bishop Carlos Belo. The murder of Dutch journalist Sander Thoenes as an Australian-led intervention force landed in Dili to restore order in mid-September was also investigated.

But a leading member of Indonesia's National Human Rights Commission expressed disappointment. After its own investigation earlier this year, the commission presented a much longer list of names for investigation, including that of Mr Wiranto. The others could not have taken actions without his knowledge, commission secretary-general Asmara Nababan said. The commission's naming of Mr Wiranto led to his dismissal from the cabinet.

The commission's inquiry came amid intense pressure for an international war crimes tribunal on the East Timor violence. Ultimately the United Nations gave Indonesia the chance to try its own. But some of those implicated are powerful men and Indonesia's legal system has been weakened by endemic corruption under former president Suharto.

Mr Nababan said this could be a test of the international community's resolution in dealing with the East Timor issue a year on.

East Timor's UN administrator, Sergio Vieira de Mello, said of the list: "We have medium to senior level names on that list. More will follow I understand."

"We must have confidence [in] the investigators. It may be other proofs [of involvement] appear," independence leader Xanana Gusmao said. But fellow independence leader Jose Ramos-Horta expressed outrage at the absence of the notorious leader of the Aitarak militia, Eurico Guterres, from the suspects' list. "If Eurico Guterres, a notorious war criminal, is not brought to trial, it leaves no option to the United Nations but to set up a war crimes tribunal," he said.

Human rights lawyer Johnson Panjaitan said the 78-member team which came up with the list after four months of inquiries had been compromised by the presence of police and military representatives on the team.