Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Activists have said that they are skeptical of the House of Representatives' commitment to bringing to justice retired and active Army generals implicated in human rights abuses.

The House is set to submit a report on three shooting incidents in 1998 and 1999 to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono next Tuesday.

House Commission III overseeing legal, legislation, human rights and security affairs has recommended that the 1998 Trisakti shootings that killed four students and the 1998 and 1999 Semanggi shootings that killed a total of 18 people go to trial.

Contacted separately, Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) coordinator Usam Hamid, Charmain Mohamed of New York-based Human Rights Watch and executive director of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights (Demos) Asmara Nababan said they were unconvinced about the move.

Usman said Kontras and the relatives of the victims feared that the House's recommendation was only a formality designed to avoid angering the public and that the House knew the eventual outcome would be that "justice is not upheld".

"Strong political support from the House and political parties is required to press the President to set up an ad hoc court with a presidential decree and to order the Attorney General's Office to thoroughly investigate the tragedies," he said. Charmain agreed with Usman, saying the credibility of the House and the government was being tested.

"We fear the outcome of the trial, if the ad hoc court is established, that the three shootings will be similar to that of the Tanjung Priok and Timor Leste cases," she said. All military and police officers tried in the Tanjung Priok and Timor Leste cases were acquitted of all charges.

The National Commission on Human Rights found gross human rights crimes in its investigation into the three shootings, but the Attorney General's Office has declined to follow up the findings and has said that the rights body has no authority to investigate the incidents.

Asmara said he was skeptical because the way the incidents were being investigated contradicted the 2000 Ad Hoc Court Law.

"The law requires the Attorney General's Office to follow up the rights body's findings by collecting evidence and questioning those involved in the incidents.

"After the (Attorney General's Office) gets strong evidence and suspects, the House makes a political recommendation for the President to set up an ad hoc court. The ad hoc court will be idle if no suspects are declared in the cases," he said.

Former defense minister and Indonesian Military chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto, former Army Special Forces commander Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subiakto and Defense Ministry secretary general Lt. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin have been linked to the incidents. All three have denied their involvement in human rights abuses.