Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has asked a court to order several serving or former generals to answer questions about the bloody May 1998 riots, a commission member said Tuesday.

"We have already repeatedly summonsed them to appear for questioning but they have refused to come, saying that according to them there is no legal basis for us to do so," said Salahuddin Wahid.

Wahid, who heads the commission's team on the riots, said it formally asked the Central Jakarta district court on Monday to subpoena the officers. He said court officials had promised to give their reply as soon as possible.

The commission wants to question the then military chief general Wiranto, the-then Jakarta military command chief major general Syafrie Syamsuddin, the former head of the Sumatra-based Bukit Barisan regional military command major general Tri Tamtomo and brigadier general Mazni Harun.

The five other officers the commission wants to quiz are Col. Amril Amir, Col. Iskandar Zulkarnaen and police sr. comr. Imam Haryatna, Yudi Sushariyanto and Puji Hertanto Iskandar.