Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – People are longing and struggling for peace, although it's painful for some.

"Peace is beautiful if there is justice," Sumarsih, whose son Bernardus Realino Norma Irmawan or Wawan was killed in the Semanggi shooting incident in 1998, told a discussion to commemorate the International Day of Peace Vigil at the Legal Aid Foundation Institution (YLBHI), on Sunday.

Sumarsih has painstakingly been seeking justice following the death of her son and another 13 people when security personnel opened fire to push back protesters near the Semanggi cloverleaf in Jakarta over a decade ago.

"They all died from live bullets. We only want the case to be brought to court. That does not mean that we have a grudge or we are still looking at the past, but we insist that the case must end in court to prevent similar cases from happening," she said.

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has concluded the incident was a crime against humanity.

But the Attorney General's Office (AGO) hesitates to continue investigations into the case, dashing any hopes of Sumarsih and the families of those killed in the incident that they might find those responsible for the shooting.

Sumarsih said she only wanted the parties responsible for the incident to receive punishment, which she said would deter others from making similar mistakes.

"As long as the guilty parties escape justice, we can be sure that we will continue to see violence and human rights violations occur in this country over and over again," Sumarsih said.

In her effort to encourage the government to settle the case, she pledged to continue to stage a protest outside the presidential palace every Thursday. This Thursday will be the 83rd time she calls on the government to heed her demand.

Guntur Romli, one of the victims of the attack on freedom of religion supporters who gathered at the National Monument (Monas) incident last June, expressed his concern for peace, which has remained elusive in the country.

He was among activists from the National Alliance for the Freedom of Faith and Religion (AKKBB) who rallied at Monas to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the inception of Indonesia's Pancasila State ideology, when a group of people from the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) and Islam Troops Command ambushed them. The attack injured 70 people.

"It seems like people are finding it hard to accept diversity and the state does not even provide us enough protection. Our sense of security is now fading away," he said.

FPI leader Rizieq Shihab and Munarman are standing trial for causing the violence.

Obertina Modesta, a preacher from Bandung, also shared her skepticism of the government's commitment to maintaining peace in this diverse country. She said her congregation had stopped activities in their church in Dayeuh Kolot due to intimidation from hard-line groups.

"We have received constant intimidation from groups of people who claim to represent the Anti Apostasy Movement Alliance (AGAP) and Anti Apostasy Body (BAP). They have caused us to move our religious activities to a hospital," she said.

She added that she had reported the violence to the police, but that to date no actions had been taken against the groups.