Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has expressed doubts over the House of Representatives' commitment to settling past human rights violations after House Speaker Marzuki Alie cut short a meeting with commission members and families of rights abuse victims on Wednesday.

"It is very regrettable the speaker refused to spend more time listening to our aspirations, because many of us, including the families of rights abuse victims, had to go extra miles to come here," said Kontras coordinator Yati Andriyani after the meeting.

"How can we believe the House is serious about resolving cases when its own speaker does not want to wait another five minutes to hear us?" she asked.

Marzuki stood up and closed the hearing as soon as Sumarsih, the mother of a student killed during the 1998 Semanggi Tragedy, called for the settlement of past human rights violations for the sake of justice rather than vengeance.

"I am very disappointed. Never in the past, from the era of Akbar Tandjung to Agung Laksono, has a House speaker refused to stay for a moment to allow us to speak up," she said. -