BBC Correspondent in Jakarta, Jonathan Head: "Many believe the officers are scapegoats."

The men are among 18 members of the security forces facing court-martial for their role in beating and shooting students at Trisakti University in the capital Jakarta.

While the two officers listened to the prosecutor read out the charges against them, several hundred students gathered outside the court carrying banners demanding punishment for the perpetrators.

The remaining 16 suspects are expected to be brought before the military tribunal over the next week.

Shootings spark riot

The incident on May 12 triggered widespread rioting and contributed to the fall of former President Suharto.

By opening fire without warning, the security forces provoked massive public outrage.

Over the following two days, Jakarta was engulfed in riots which human rights groups say left more than 1,000 people dead.

Killed by lethal ammunition

Medical experts say the victims were killed by live ammunition rounds. In normal circumstances the police in Indonesia disperse crowds using rubber-coated bullets which are not usually lethal.

The BBC Jakarta correspondent says there was strong pressure on the authorities to find the culprits behind the killings, but that many students believe the officers charged are merely scapegoats.

The students claim that a mysterious unit of army snipers was responsible for the deaths and that the truth is being covered up.