Chris McCall, Jakarta – People in Aceh have reacted coldly to the jailing of 24 soldiers and their civilian informant over the massacre of 57 people at a school last July, saying it is just window dressing.

There were none of the prayers that greeted last week's peace deal, which the Acehnese hope will end a decade of violence and possibly pave the way for self-determination. Even the fact that a few soldiers had finally been made to pay for the misdeeds of the past left few people moved.

The court in Banda Aceh was not especially crowded for the verdict and most of the audience consisted of curious students. There were not even any protests. But leading Acehnese had plenty of hard words for the way the trial was conducted.

"The trial is not interesting to the people," said Nurdin Rahman, head of aid group Rata, which helps the thousands of torture victims dotted across the province. "These are only the men who did that, while those at the top were not held accountable."

The trial was controversially held in a joint civilian and military court and under criminal laws rather than laws specially designed to address human rights issues, which are now going through Parliament. Some human rights lawyers believe the case should have been delayed, but was pushed through because of its political significance.

The killing of Teungku Bantaqiah, an Islamic scholar suspected of supporting the Free Aceh rebels, and 56 of his followers occurred at a very sensitive time last July. Agitation for a referendum on independence was just getting into full swing, while investigations into human rights abuses under former president Suharto were proceeding at snail's pace. It was one of two major massacres in Aceh last year and followed Indonesia's historic first democratic election in 44 years, which was widely boycotted in Aceh.

A leading activist pushing for a referendum said many Acehnese jailed for membership of the rebel movement in the past had received far longer jail terms than the 8.5 to 10-year sentences handed down yesterday.

Muhammad Nazar, chairman of Sira – the Aceh Referendum Information Centre – said he doubted they would serve their full terms. "This is not going to solve the problem of human rights in Aceh," said Mr Nazar, whose organisation has experienced numerous threats over its agitation for a referendum. The most urgent thing was that a proper investigation team, like that for East Timor, be set up for Aceh, he said.

Human rights are a vital issue if a solution to the Aceh violence is to be found. The Sumatran province is strewn with torture victims and families whose sons, daughters or fathers disappeared or were killed at the hands of Indonesia's security forces. There is a deep desire for justice.

But the mysterious disappearance – before the quest for justice even started – of the man who led the operation, Lieutenant- Colonel Sudjono, cast a long shadow over this trial. Human Rights Minister Mr Hasballah Saad, who is Acehnese, has played a leading part in the arrangements and some believe he pushed the case through early.

The Acehnese are upset at the slow progress being made to end the bloodshed. But human rights monitors say last Friday's peace accord has not calmed the situation, with several reports of killings and torture since it was signed.

A wave of violence has swept the province amid a renewed a crackdown by police and military on the rebels. Human rights groups say at least 366 people have been killed this year, although some estimates put the true figure at more than 1,000.

Rebel spokesman Ismail Sahputra compared the trial to a piece of theatre and said not even all the bodies had been found from the attack on the school in West Aceh last July. "They had already written the script and they knew what would happen to them. It is a play," he said.